Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni have named former Jewish Agency Executive Chairman Sallai Meridor as Israel’s next ambassador to the United Sttaes.
Meridor, 51, will replace Danny Ayalon, who is at the end of his four year term as Israel's ambassador in Washington.
Meridor's name surfaced as a possible fit for the job along with former Tel Aviv Mayor Ronnie Milo, former IDF spokesman Nachman Shai, and current ambassador to the UN Danny Gillerman. Due to a personal strife between Sallai's brother Dan and PM Olmert, it seemed that Meridor's candidacy was off the table. But lately, relations between Olmert and Meridor were reestablished, and Sallai's candidacy was once again on the agenda.
A few months ago Meridor resigned as chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency.
“For six years I was in a system where I think no one should serve forever,” he told Ynet at the time. “Because I have decided not to continue for a third term, I thought it was for the best that my replacement begins working immediately. The good of the system dictates it."
Meridor is a graduate of Hebrew University in Jerusalem in the departments of history, Islam, and Jewish history. In the past he held a number of positions in public service: Head of the settlement division of the World Zionist Organization ,treasurer of the Jewish Agency, advisor to the defense minister, political advisor to the foreign minister, and more.