November 25 – Earlier this afternoon at Rideau Hall, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, received Mr. Rafael Barak’s credentials as Ambassador of Israel to Canada (See link below for photos). The Embassy of Israel is pleased to welcome Ambassador Barak to Ottawa and looks forward to continued growth in the blossoming Canada-Israel relationship.
“Canada and Israel hold a bond of friendship that is rooted in shared democratic values and common interests,” said Ambassador Barak. “I look forward to building upon this strong foundation and helping to further deepen our bilateral ties in a range of areas including energy, security, international development, innovation and the promotion of human rights around the globe.”
Mr. Barak is an accomplished diplomat who has held several senior positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and his previous postings include Charge d’Affaires, a.i. at the Embassy of Israel in Paris and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC. Prior to his appointment as Ambassador of Israel to Canada, Mr. Barak served as Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (which in Canada is equivalent to Deputy Minister). Mr. Barak holds a Master of Arts in Political Science from Jerusalem’s Hebrew University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from Tel Aviv University. He is married and has three children.