The Foreign Ministry on Thursday appointed veteran diplomat Naor Gilon as head of Israel’s newly established public diplomacy directorate.
The appointment follows a government decision earlier this month approving the creation of the directorate, which will centralize the Foreign Ministry’s public diplomacy efforts.
Gilon is considered one of the most experienced and capable diplomats in the Foreign Ministry. Over the course of his career, he has served as Israel’s ambassador to India, Italy and the Netherlands, and previously held the post of director general for Europe at the ministry. He also served in Washington and has deep familiarity with the American arena.
Gilon is regarded as highly knowledgeable in what are currently Israel’s two most critical arenas, Europe and the United States. The senior diplomat enters the role as more than two billion shekels have been allocated in the 2026 state budget for public diplomacy efforts. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar had sought a "bulldozer" to drive the system forward, chart a clear direction and develop sophisticated methods to confront the public diplomacy crisis Israel has faced since the October 7 massacre.
Israel has struggled to contend with hostile influence operations led by countries including Iran, Russia, China and Qatar.
Foreign Ministry officials who have previously worked with Gilon said he is "the right person in the right place at the right time." They added that "he is a highly skilled professional with proven managerial ability. His appointment is an important and positive development for the Foreign Ministry and for Israel’s public diplomacy."
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Naor Gilon (right) with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
(Photo: Section 27A of the Copyright Law)
In recent months, Gilon had been on unpaid leave and has now returned to the Foreign Ministry.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the new directorate head will oversee the establishment of the unit and the integration of advanced capabilities and methods to counter the psychological warfare waged by Israel’s enemies and rivals worldwide. To that end, the directorate will engage experts in fields including digital media, advanced technologies, strategic communications, content production, marketing and advertising.
"The battle over public perception is a massive national challenge," Sa’ar said following the approval of his proposal to establish the public diplomacy directorate. "Our enemies invest enormous sums against us. Israel has operated with very modest means and must now both increase resources and adopt new and updated methods.
"Investment in psychological warfare is like investment in aircraft, bombs and interceptors. It is a foundation of our national security. Decisions by world leaders regarding Israel are directly influenced by public opinion in their countries. Therefore, alongside the diplomatic front, we will significantly expand public diplomacy activity."