Israel names envoy to South Sudan By HERB KEINON 11/01/2012 Next ambassador to Berlin selected, after being appointed as envoy to European Union in Brussels.
The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday named Haim Koren as ambassador to South Sudan, signaling the importance Jerusalem attributes to its relationship with the worldโs newest state.
Koren, a former director of the ministryโs Political Planning Division, will for the time being be a non-resident ambassador, flying regularly from Israel to South Sudan.
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The appointment comes just a few weeks after South Sudan President Salva Kiir visited Israel for a one-day visit. Jerusalem is keen on strengthening its ties with an arc of eastern African countries โ Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan โ which, like Israel, are worried about Iranian penetration and radical Islamist terrorism.
Koren, who has previously served in Chicago and Egypt, is an Arabic expert who can distinguish among Sudanese dialects. He was used in this capacity by security officials a number of times when they were trying to determine whether infiltrators into Israel claiming to be political refugees from Darfur were indeed from that region, or rather from other areas in the country looking to come to Israel for economic gain.
Koren was appointed as Israelโs ambassador to Turkmenistan earlier in the year, but failed to take up that post after the Turkmen foreign ministry claimed he was a spy because he spent three years as an instructor at the National Security College.
Turkmenistan, which borders Iran, is very jittery about Israel using the embassy there to spy on its neighbor, and Koren was the second consecutive ambassadorial candidate that Turkmenistan rejected. That post still remains vacant.
In a related development, the Foreign Ministryโs appointment committee also named Yaakov Hadas-Handelsman as Israelโs next envoy to Berlin, replacing Yoram Ben-Zeev. The move is somewhat unusual, since Hadas-Handelsman took up the post as Israelโs envoy to the EU in Brussels just six months ago.
One official said the reason Hadas-Handelsman will be moved so quickly is because he is considered the best candidate for the Germany position, considered one of the most important in the foreign service. Ties with Berlin, though good overall, have been marked over the last few months by patches of tension due to Germanyโs harsh censure of Israeli construction over the Green Line.
Ambassadors generally remain in their posts for at least three years.
Foreign Ministry sources said Hadas-Handelsman, who went to Brussels after serving as the Foreign Ministryโs deputy director- general for the Middle East and the peace process, speaks German.
Both appointments need approval by the cabinet, something that is generally just a formality. print gohome print About Us | Advertise with Us | Subscribe | RSS All rights reserved ยฉ 1995 - 2012 The Jerusalem Post.
Koren, a former director of the ministryโs Political Planning Division,
Quote: Koren served in various diplomatic capacities in the United States, Egypt, and Nepal. He was the Director of the Israel's Middle East Division of Foreign Affairs.[2]
He is fluent in the Arabic language including the Sudanese dialects. During his diplomatic career, he has worked with security officials in dealing with and understanding Sudanese refugees from Darfur.[3] WIKIPEDIA
Quote: He is fluent in the Arabic languageincluding the Sudanese dialects. During his diplomatic career, he has worked with security officials in dealing with and understanding Sudanese refugees from Darfur.[3] WIKIPEDIA