Ephraim Dowek, Israel’s new Ambassador to the United Nations and other international organizations based in Geneva, presented his credentials here Tuesday to Erik Suy, director general of the UN Office. The 53-year-old career diplomat replaces Ovadia Soffer who is now Israel’s Ambassador to France.
Dowek, who holds a masters degree in international relations from the Hebrew University, has been active in Israeli politics and in its foreign service. A member of the Labor Party, he twice ran for the Knesset, was a member of the Histadrut Executive Council and of the Israeli High Council for Education. He also served as Mayor of Beit Shean.
He joined the foreign service in 1963 and from then until 1978 served as Israel’s Ambassador to Chad, Dahomey, and Zaire and as Consul General in Rio de Janeiro. Between assignments abroad Dowek was deputy director of the African and Middle Eastern divisions at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem and deputy director of its international cooperation division.
From 1978-80 he served as Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem in charge of town planning and urban development. Prior to his assignment to Geneva he was Minister Plenipotentiary at the Israel Embassy in Cairo. Dowek is married and has three children.
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