WASHINGTON – Mike Herzog, Israel’s new Ambassador to Washington, landed in the US on Friday, officially taking office. He is expected to hit the ground running, as the embassy will host several events and official visits this week.
From Sunday through Tuesday, the embassy hosts the Head of Mission conference. All Israel’s consul generals participate in the forum, including New York’s Assaf Zamir, Los Angeles’ Hillel Newman, Chicago’s Yinam Cohen, and San Francisco’s Shlomi Kofman.
The conference usually takes place in Jerusalem, but this year, the embassy in Washington will host it, and Herzog will meet his fellow diplomats on his first day in office. He will discuss the US-Israel relationship and is expected to address several goals he would like to achieve during his time in office. As part of the conference, the Israeli diplomats will also travel to Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress.
Herzog succeeded Gilad Erdan, who will remain Ambassador to the UN. “As I conclude my term as Ambassador to the US, I am proud of the work we have done to strengthen the relationship,” he tweeted on Friday. “I will continue fighting on Israel’s behalf in my role as Ambassador to the UN to ensure that the world’s only Jewish state is treated fairly in the international arena,” he added.
On Monday, the ambassador will host a series of meetings with the embassy staff. Herzog will also host Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked and Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll later this week. Shaked is coming to Washington to meet with Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, to discuss the inclusion of Israel in the US Visa Waiver Program, and Herzog is scheduled to attend the meeting as well.
Last month, Mayorkas said that the US is considering adding Israel to its visa waiver program, allowing its citizens to visit America for 90 days without a visa.
“We have four candidates in the pipeline: Israel, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania,” Mayorkas said at a travel industry event. “We’re very, very focused on the program,” he added, saying it provides significant economic and security benefits.
Deputy Foreign Minister Roll will meet in Washington with Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman. Roll will also hold meetings at the White House National Security Council, with members of Congress, Jewish organizations, and students. On Sunday evening, he will meet with William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations.