H.E. Gideon Behar, Ambassador, Special Envoy for Climate Change and Sustainability, Israel

H.E. Gideon Behar is the Ambassador at Special Envoy for Climate Change and Sustainability at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel. Previously he occupied the post of Head of Bureau for Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the post of Special Envoy for African Affairs. Between 2011-2016 he was Director of the Department for Combating Antisemitism and Holocaust Remembrance. He served as Israel’s Ambassador to Senegal 2006-2011 and as Deputy Director of the Jordan, Syrian and Lebanon Department 2002-2006. Between 2000-2002 he served as Political Counselor at Israel’s Embassy in Berlin and as deputy head of mission of Israel’s diplomatic office in Tunisia during the years 1996-2000. He holds an M.A. degree in Islamic Fundamentalism, and a B.A. in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies from the Hebrew University. He accomplished a mediation course and a yearlong program at the Heschel center in sustainability studies. He currently teaches at the university a course on “The impacts of Climate Change on International Relations”. He was awarded by President Wade of Senegal the “Grand Officier de l’ Ordre National du Lion” for his unique contribution to Senegal, as well as a special award from Senegal’s NGO’s umbrella organization, CONGAD, for his humanitarian work in Senegal.  He was awarded together with his team an award of “Best Team for the year 2015” by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for holding and chairing the Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism.