Maor Elbaz-Starinsky was appointed as Consul General of Israel in Miami. A career diplomat since 2006, he will be building partnerships and coalitions for Israel with the people and governments of Florida, Kansas, Missouri, and Puerto Rico. He plans to focus on strengthening relations in the areas of politics, innovation and technology, trade and business, tourism, media, and culture. He looks forward to working together with the large and influential Jewish and Israeli communities in Florida, and promote interfaith cooperation and combating Antisemitism and racism.
For the last four years Maor headed the Training departments of the Foreign Ministry. He was responsible for the professional training, mid-career enrichment, and job retraining for the Ministry’s 1,200 employees. Recognized by the Ministry with an Award of Excellence, he developed a new process for recruiting and training the prestigious Diplomatic Cadet class each year.
As a member of the Strategic Affairs Division, Maor represented Israel at various international forums and conferences. In particular, he was involved in discussions related to Arms Control at international organizations. He also served as a Policy Adviser to the Israeli Delegation to the European Union and NATO and was responsible for regional strategic security and NATO related issues.
Maor’s first posting was as the Deputy Ambassador at the Embassy of Israel in Nairobi, accredited to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi and the Seychelles Islands. During his tenure there, he became acquainted with Africa and was responsible for many of the important aid projects Israel is involved with and managed issues connected with security, agriculture, trade, and culture.
He holds an MA, with distinction, in Conflict Management and Resolution from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He also attended a Master’s degree program in immunology at the Graduate School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. His BA is in Biology from the Department of Biology at Tel Aviv University, where he ran projects in Marine and Molecular Biology, For his IDF service he was a commander in the Paratroopers.
Maor is an avid runner - he completed two marathons – Paris Marathon and Midnight Sun Marathon in Northern Norway, a scuba diver and marine enthusiast, Maor is joined in Miami by his wife – a Doctor for Genetics, expert in Forensic Science in Israel's National Police - and their five children.