By COLlive reporter
Representatives from local and national Jewish groups gathered at the UJA Federation in Manhattan last week for a farewell event for Israel’s Acting Consul General in New York, Israel Nitzan.
Nitzan arrived in New York five years ago and is ending his tenure in the role, which he’s held since April. Israeli media has reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Eli Cohen have yet to announce a replacement.
Nitzan has coordinated the political work at the Israeli Consulate in New York, developing and maintaining relations with national, state, and local elected officials as well as community leaders.
Previously, Nitzan served at the Israeli Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, as Spokesperson from 2002 to 2005, returning in 2009 as the Deputy Chief of Mission until an attack during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution forced the Embassy to evacuate.
From 2012 until 2015, he served as the Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs at the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations. He also served as the Director of the Foreign Ministry’s U.N. Political Affairs Department in 2015, serving there until 2018.
The event was held to honor Nitzan on the successful completion of his tenure as both Deputy Consul General and Acting Consul General of Israel in New York between August 2018 and August 2023. He will return in a few weeks to Israel.
Among those thanking Nitzan for his work were U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
He received a citation from Mayor Eric Adams, presented by Commissioner Fred Kreizman and Senior Aide Yoeli Eisdorfer, for his service.
In attendance from Crown Heights were Chanina Sperlin and Eli Cohen from the CHJCC and Eli Slavin, representing Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, who presented Nitzan with a Congressional Proclamation for his service.
“We are a family,” Nitzan told the crowd gathered. “Despite all the challenges, we’re in this together. There is no closer relationship than ours.”
