Yael Hashavit.

Consul for Cultural Affairs in North America

for the State of Israel

As of January 2023, Yael Hashavit assumed the post of Consul for Cultural Affairs in North America for the State of Israel. She is a senior diplomat who has served in variety of diplomatic posts including Senior Advisor to the Director General of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, Consul General of Israel to South India, and C.E.O. of Israel’s Haigud Society for Transfer of Technology (a.k.a. The Israeli Society for International Cooperation).

Yael has long devoted herself to promoting Israeli culture both in Israel and around the world. She brings with her a wealth of experience but mostly a personal passion to exposing Israeli Culture and its innovative beauty and uniqueness to local audiences.

While she served in Mexico as Deputy Ambassador, the State of Israel was chosen to be as the “country in focus” for the cultural year 2013/14. With that designation, Mexico and other Latin America countries gained exposed to hundreds of Israeli artists, writers, musicians, scholars and more. During that period, hundreds of Israeli books were translated into Spanish, dozens of Israeli musical bands and performance groups arrived to stages throughout Latin America, and Israeli visual art became part of public spaces in big cities such as Mexico City and Guadalajara. Prior to arriving in New York, Yael served as the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, Community and Sport for the City of Haifa, Israel. She was the first to establish a local system that was aimed at building and strengthening local communities threw culture and local art. Yael is planning to echo her prior achievements and multiply the exposure of Israeli dance, literature, music, theater, visual arts, cinema, and television industry throughout North America. She believes in culture as soft power that brings the beauty of Israel to people around the world.

Yael is married to Shachar, who is a chef and culinary advisor. They are parents to two teenage daughters. Yael and Shachar are considered to be amongst the biggest collectors of Israelina (Israeli art and folklore items), from the early days of the State of Israel. Their collection includes books, records, ceramics and so much more.​