Joel Lion

Joel Lion
יואל ליאון
Israel Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia
Incumbent
Assumed office
April 2022
PresidentIsaac Herzog
Preceded byEliav Belotserkovskiy
Personal details
Born (1964-01-16) 16 January 1964
France
CitizenshipIsraeli
Alma materThe Hebrew University Ariel University
Ambassador of the State of Israel to Ukraine
In office
August 2018 – August 2021
PresidentReuven Rivlin
Preceded byEliav Belotserkovskiy
Succeeded byMichael Brodsky

Joel Lion (Hebrew: יואל ליאון; born 1964) is an Israeli diplomat, currently serving as Non-Resident Ambassador of the State of Israel to the Republic of Armenia[1] with residence in Jerusalem. A senior member of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1993,[2] he has served as Ambassador to Ukraine, First resident Ambassador of Israel to the Republic of Moldova,[3][4]. He was also Consul-General of Israel in Montreal and Permanent Representative of Israel to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).[5] In Jerusalem, he held roles as Chief of Diplomatic Staff of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Hotovely, Special Envoy for Holocaust Restitution and Director of Public and Academic Affairs. Lion is known for his work in Holocaust-era property restitution, cultural diplomacy—such as the touring exhibition Open a Door to Israel—and for coordinating Israeli humanitarian assistance in Eastern Europe during conflicts.

Early life and education

Lion was born in France to Alain Lion and Helene Becher and raised in Esch-sur-Alzette in Luxembourg. He attended a Yeshiva high school in Switzerland before immigrating to Israel in 1982 through the Bnei Akiva “Hachshara” program, later on he served in the Israel Defense Forces and attained the rank of Staff-Sergeant in the Artillery Corps. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a Master’s in History from the University of Latvia, and a PhD in Jewish Heritage from Ariel University, the subject of his dissertation was: "The Israeli Foreign Service and the Jewish Immigration from the French Protectorates in North Africa (1948-1956)". He received rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Daniel Chanan of Yeshivat Pirchei Shoshanim and from the Chief Rabbi of the city of Holon, Rabbi Eliyahu Yohanan Gur-Arieh. In addition, he completed the International Training Course in Security Policy of the Federal Military Department of Switzerland, at GCSP in Geneva.
Lion is fluent in Hebrew, English, French, German, Luxembourgish, Yiddish and has a good knowledge of Russian.

Personal Life

Lion is married to Rivka Ende, a father of eight and grandfather of seven. In his free time, he volunteers as an EMT with United Hatzalah.

Diplomatic Career

Lion joined the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993.[2] His early postings included serving as Deputy Chief of Mission for Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania at the Israeli Embassy in Riga, and as Chargé d'Affaires for Slovakia at the Israeli Embassy in Vienna. He also served as Counselor and Head of the Public Affairs Department at Israel’s Embassy in Berlin, and as Deputy Director for the Western European Department at the Ministry's headquarters in Jerusalem, responsible for political relations with Germany. From August 2009 to August 2011, Lion served as Spokesperson and Consul for Media Affairs at the Consulate General of Israel in New York, maintaining direct contact with national and local media in the tri-state area.[6] He was appointed Consul General of Israel in Montreal from August 2011 to August 2014, with jurisdiction over Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, and concurrently served as Permanent Representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).[5] Back in Jerusalem, Lion was Director of the Public and Academic Affairs Department at the Media and Public Affairs Division of the Ministry; Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues and the Return of Jewish Property, coordinating efforts between the State of Israel and the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) and as Chief of Diplomatic Staff to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Hotovely. In August 2018, Lion was appointed Ambassador of Israel to Ukraine , serving until 2021. In April 2022, he was appointed non-resident Ambassador to Armenia and Moldova, and later, following the opening of the Israeli embassy in Chișinău in December 2024, became the first resident ambassador of Israel in Moldova. He completed his term in Moldova in April 2025.

Notable Achievements

Lion directed the creation and global rollout of Open a Door to Israel, a multimedia exhibition showcasing Israeli culture through interactive displays. The exhibition was presented in France, Italy, Russia, India, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and the United States.[7] As Special Envoy for Holocaust Restitution, Lion promoted the cooperation between the State of Israel and WJRO,[8] and helped facilitate a 2017 joint declaration by Members of the European Parliament supporting increased action on Holocaust-era property claims and restitution.[9] He also oversaw the opening of Israel’s embassy in Chișinău in 2024[10] and played a critical role in coordinating Israeli assistance during the Ukrainian refugee crisis in 2022.[11]

Special Missions

In 1999, he became the first Israeli official to partake in the mission of election monitoring with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. At the start of the second Intifada in 2001, Mr. Lion operated as Spokesman with the MFA special team in Bethlehem.[12] During operation "Cast Lead", he worked as director in charge of the MFA Press Center in Sderot. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine he headed Israel's Emergency Response Team in Moldova, dealing with the Ukrainian refugee crisis.[13]

During the first months of Iron Swords War, he served as Deputy Spokesperson for the MFA.

Publications

In the news

References

  1. ^ "The newly appointed Ambassador of Israel presented his credentials to President Vahagn Khachaturyan".
  2. ^ a b "Preschool for Diplomats". Archived from the original on 2012-10-26. Retrieved 2017-07-06.
  3. ^ "הודעת מזכיר הממשלה בתום ישיבת הממשלה מיום 10 באפריל 2022". GOV.IL (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  4. ^ Twitter https://twitter.com/ambassadorlion/status/1526108326265774080. Retrieved 2022-05-23. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ a b Mike. "Charismatic Israel Consul General Joel Lion completes his tour of duty in Montreal". Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  6. ^ "'Israel is inventive, moving and spiritual, not just about conflict' | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2009-10-19. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  7. ^ "Paris exhibit 'opens doors' to Israel | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2016-04-03. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  8. ^ "Israel, WJRO to work to retrieve assets from Holocaust era | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2017-05-05. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  9. ^ "European MPs pledge support for restitution claims of Holocaust survivors | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2017-06-26. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  10. ^ Winer, Stuart (4 February 2025). "After over 30 years of ties, Israel opens its first embassy in Moldova". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  11. ^ "'They Arrive in Slippers, Documents in Hand': Israeli Envoy Speaks About Humanitarian Mission to Help Ukrainian Refugees (VIDEO)". The Media Line. 2022-04-01. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  12. ^ All but 13 to Leave Church of the Nativity, FOXNews - May 9, 2002: https://www.foxnews.com/story/all-but-13-to-leave-church-of-the-nativity
  13. ^ "Israel helped Lebanese, Syrian citizens reach Ukraine border". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 27 February 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-23.

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