David Siegel
Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles
DAVID SIEGEL assumed the post of Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles in August 2011, where he serves as the senior representative of the State of Israel to the Southwestern United States.
Most recently, Mr. Siegel served as Chief of Staff to Israel's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. In this role, he was involved in policy formulation and decision-making at the senior levels of Israel's foreign policy establishment.
Previously, Mr. Siegel served two terms at the Embassy of Israel in Washington D.C., in successive roles as Chief of Staff to three of Israel's Ambassadors to the United States, Counselor for Congressional Affairs, and Spokesperson. In these capacities, which spanned nearly a decade and two U.S. Administrations, Mr. Siegel was deeply involved in policy coordination with the State Department, the National Security Council and the White House. He was Israel's voice to the Washington press corps and liaison to the U.S. Congress, where he was responsible for security cooperation, missile defense and homeland security. During these years, Mr. Siegel participated in the 1998 Wye River Peace Summit, the 1999 Israel-Syria negotiations, and the Camp David Middle East Peace Summit in the Fall of 2000.
Consul General Siegel has also served in senior posts at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, including Director of the International Organizations Department and Political Counselor in the North American Division. He began his diplomatic career as Deputy Chief of Mission at Israel's Embassy in Eritrea, in the Horn of Africa, and subsequently became Charge' d'Affaires.
Mr. Siegel graduated from the University of Vermont with a B.A. in Political Science and earned a Masters Degree in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston. He served as a Commander in the Israel Defense Forces.
Consul General Siegel is married to Myra Clark-Siegel, and they have three young children.
Gil Artzyeli
Deputy Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles
Gil Artzyeli serves as Deputy Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles as of August 2008. The post covers southern California, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.
He has been a member of Israel's Foreign Service since 1994. During his diplomatic career he held three overseas positions, as Deputy Head of Mission in Bogota, Colombia (1995-1998) and in Mexico (2003-2005), and as the Spokesperson of the Embassy of Israel in Madrid, Spain (1998-2000).
During his service at the headquarters of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem he was the Director of the Diplomats Cadet's Program (2001-2003) and held posts in the European Divisions and Latin America Division. He was a member of an advisory committee to the Minister of Interior on refugee issues (2006-2008).
Gil Artzyeli graduated in 1992 from the Law Faculty at Tel Aviv University. He is a lawyer, a member of the Israeli Bar since 1993, and has worked at a private office in Tel Aviv and in the Legal Division of the Israel Ministry of Defense.
He served in the Israel Defense Forces for 4 years (1983-1987) in Intelligence. He currently holds the rank of Captain (Res).
Gil Artzyeli is married to Viviana, a native of Bogota, Colombia, and is the father of Daniela and Michael, twins, born in September 2006.
He speaks Hebrew, English and Spanish.
Yehudit Galilee Metzer
Consul for Culture, Media and Public Diplomacy
Consul Yehudit Galilee Metzer has arrived in Los Angeles to assume the position of Consul for Culture, Media and Public Affairs, after serving for three years as Deputy Ambassador at the Embassy of the State of Israel in Baku, Azerbaijan.
In 2006, after completing her official diplomatic training, Yehudit worked in the Eurasian Department in the Economic Division at the Foreign Ministry, and then proceeded to Eurasia Political Division, in preparation for her role as Deputy Ambassador of Israel to Azerbaijan (2007-2010). Israel's Embassy in Azerbaijan is very active in promoting Israeli Business and economic ties between the countries, emphasizing the warm and productive ties with a moderate Muslim country. Among other duties, Consul Galilee Metzer was in charge of coordinating Israel’s international aid in the fields of agriculture, health, and education. Among her duties were also promoting cultural interactions and academic relation between Israel and Azerbaijan.
Before joining the School of Diplomacy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consul Yehudit Galilee Metzer worked for six years as a researcher in the Research and Information Center in the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament). Her position included conducting research and writing papers for members of Parliament on a variety of topics discussed in the Knesset. During this time Yehudit participated mainly in the work of the State Control Committee and the House Committee.
Consul Yehudit Galilee Metzer has a Masters (MA) with Honours in Public Policy from the School of Government and Policy, Tel Aviv University, and a Bachelors (BA) in Political Science and Far Eastern Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Yehudit is married to Omri and they have two daughters.
Danny Gadot
Consul of Consular Affairs
Mr. Danny Gadot assumed the position of Consul of Consular Affairs at the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles since October 2011.
He is in charge of the consular aspects involving the Israeli and Jewish communities in the Southwestern United States.
Mr. Gadot began his career at the Israeli Foreign Ministry in 1979. During these years, he held different positions; among them, served as Consul for Administrative and Consular Affairs in New Zealand for 5 years, served as Consul for Administrative and Consular Affairs in Stockholm for 4 years, served as Deputy Director of Human Resources, Deputy Director of the Department for Overseas personnel Management and Director Personnel Welfare Department.
Mr. Danny Gadot served in the Israeli Defence Forces at the “Golani” Brigade Division. Consul Danny Gadot has a Masters (MA) E.M.B.A, Administration Degree, Bar Ilan University and a Bachelor’s Degree (BA) in Social Science, Ariel University Center of Samaria Bar Ilan University.
Mr. Gadot was born in Jerusalem, Israel. Consul Danny Gadot is married to Kochava and they have four children and one grandchild.
Dr. Ofer Mazar
Consul for Administration Affairs
Ofer Mazar was born and raised mainly in Jerusalem, Israel but spent some of his childhood in Los Angeles, attending schools in the city of Beverly Hills. He joined the Israeli Ministry of Foreign affairs in 1990, graduated the Ministry's Cadet Course at the top of his class, and went on to serve in diverse positions, home and abroad. Among others, Dr. Mazar served as Israel's Consul in Bangkok, Thailand, in Oslo, Norway and in Rome, Italy. He also served a full term (2000-2002) as the elected chairman of the Israeli Diplomat's Workers' Union and was voted the best worker of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 2008. He went on to win that year also the best worker award in the midrange management category for the entire Israeli Public Sector.
Dr. Mazar holds a Ph.D. in American Studies and a Master's Degree in Political Science, both from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has published three books - one academic ( In the Shadow of the Sphinx, Ministry of Defense Publishing House, Tel Aviv, 2002) and two Romances (Fate's Open Arms, Eloquent Books, New York, 2010, and Fate's Perfect Justice, Strategic Books Group, New York, 2011).
