(Communicated by the MFA Spokesperson's Bureau)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is this week hosting its annual conference for Israeli heads of mission. From 31 January through 4 February, ambassadors and consul generals from 106 Israeli missions around the world are gathered in Jerusalem. In addition to currently serving heads of mission, recently appointed ambassadors and consul generals who will be leaving this year for postings abroad are attending the conference.

The conference provides a platform for discussing the challenges of Israeli diplomacy and analyzing the international arena and how current trends affect Israel’s security and future. It offers the heads of mission the opportunity to meet with Israel's president, prime minister, deputy foreign minister, the chief of police, economic policy makers, and senior officials of the security forces, the foreign ministry and other key figures in Israeli society. The secretary general of the OECD, Mr. Jose Angel Gurria, spoke on the opening day of the conference.

This year's conference is focusing on three topics that dominate Israel's current diplomatic agenda: Israel’s security/diplomatic situation; economic opportunities in the global arena; and political and social issues that Israel faces that are reflected on the international arena in the realm of public diplomacy and BDS campaigns, as well as in foreign relations.