Mark Regev ends his four years and three months as Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom this week.
His departure coincides with Settlement Affairs Minister Tzipi Hotovely’s confirmation last week that she had accepted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s offer to be Israel’s next ambassador in London.
According to foreign ministry sources, Mr Regev’s departure had been planned in advance and was not connected to the new appointment.
A career diplomat for the past three decades, Mr Regev served in Beijing, Washington and Hong Kong before becoming the foreign ministry’s chief spokesperson in 2004. He was seconded to the prime minister’s office in 2007, to work as Ehud Olmert’s chief foreign media press officer, a position he retained when Mr Netanayhu became prime minister in 2009, becoming one of Israel’s most prominent spokespeople in the international media for over a decade.
