Doron Spielman, who served as one of the IDF’s foreign media spokesmen during the war and previously guided diplomats and world leaders through the City of David, has been selected as the new spokesman for Israel’s National Public Diplomacy Directorate, a newly created post in the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Prime Minister’s Office tender committee chose Spielman, 53, for the role, which did not previously exist. Formally, he will serve as senior division director for spokesmanship, communications and public diplomacy in the Prime Minister’s Office, but the position is expected to make him one of Israel’s most visible official voices to the world.
Doron Spielman
Spielman immigrated to Israel from the United States in January 2000 and holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations. A reserve major, he served during the war as a foreign media spokesman in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, appearing in interviews with numerous international networks.
He is a senior fellow at the Herut Center in Jerusalem and the Argaman Institute. For nearly two decades, he also served as vice president of Elad, the organization that operates the City of David archaeological site in Jerusalem. In that role, he guided dozens of leaders and diplomats, including former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.
Spielman has previously faced international and political criticism over excavations at the City of David. In his book, “Let the Stones Speak,” he described pressure exerted by the Obama administration in 2014 following the purchase of properties in Silwan. He wrote that he worked to present archaeological findings as evidence of the Jewish people’s historical connection to Jerusalem and to counter UNESCO resolutions that ignored that connection.
After leaving Elad, Spielman founded Spielman Dynamics, a strategic consulting firm focused on military and security affairs.
Responding to claims by other candidates that the tender had been tailored for a preferred applicant, the Prime Minister’s Office said 10 candidates had competed and that all were given time and attention.
“He was selected with a significantly higher score than all other candidates because of his extensive international experience,” the Prime Minister’s Office said. Tzipi Hotovely, head of the National Public Diplomacy Directorate, welcomed the appointment.
“I congratulate Doron on joining the National Public Diplomacy Directorate,” Hotovely said. “Doron brings rich experience in the international arena, a deep understanding of the challenges facing Israel’s public diplomacy and a proven ability to present the Israeli narrative from a deep connection to the roots of our identity. His joining the directorate will significantly strengthen Israeli public diplomacy.”
The appointment comes shortly after the Prime Minister’s Office tender committee also selected a director for the public diplomacy headquarters: Lt. Col. (res.) Noam Shapira. That position had been unfilled for three and a half years, since the current government was formed, including throughout the war.
In recent years, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced heavy criticism over what critics described as the neglect of Israel’s public diplomacy apparatus, including the failure to appoint both a head of the National Public Diplomacy Directorate and a headquarters director. Netanyahu recently appointed Hotovely, Israel’s former ambassador to London, to lead the directorate, and the new appointments of a director and spokesman now fill additional senior roles in the system.
The State Comptroller prepared a report on Israel’s public diplomacy system and its failures on October 7, but the report was shelved by order of the High Court of Justice, along with other reports dealing with the October 7 attack.