An Israeli Diplomat Reflects on How She Kept Communities Connected During a Global Pandemic

I have served for 30 years in the Israeli Foreign Ministry (15 years of them managing teams worldwide), but I was not prepared for the greatest historic  consular challenge of all: managing the consular department team at the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles during the COVID-19 crisis, while Israel was grappling with the severe impact of the pandemic and exercising some of the strictest regulations in the Western world.

For a period of nearly two years, entry into Israel was restricted/denied for foreign nationals. In addition, for weeks, thousands of Israelis were stranded abroad and unable to return, leaving some of them undocumented in a foreign country. Although the restrictions were later partially lifted for the Israeli residents/citizens, foreign nationals were still prohibited from entering Israel without special permits issued by the Israeli authorities, often through the Consulate General.

During my term at the Consulate, the consular department found itself dealing not only with providing routine consular services and the increased demand for Israeli passports, but also with thousands of requests every month from American citizens who are married to Israelis, parents of Israeli children without Israeli passports, Americans with relatives in Israel, and individuals requiring entry for work, studies, medical needs, and more.

This extraordinary situation significantly burdened the Israeli Consular services worldwide. In practice, the Israeli government transferred the processing of exceptional visa requests of foreign citizens from Jerusalem to the embassies and consulates. This represented a significant increase in workload, without additional manpower or special resources.

As a consul and representative of the State of Israel, I found myself caught in a dilemma, torn between the decisions of the Israeli government and the fear that the pandemic would indeed escalate. On the other hand, thousands of individuals were separated from their families with heart-wrenching stories that necessitated issuance of special entry permits.

The realization that the only thing standing between them and their journey to Israel was me completely changed my professional perspective. It was time for bold decisions.

In September 2020, I decided to reopen, in a controlled manner, the front-facing consular services at the Los Angeles consulate. We became the only consulate with an open facility. However, managing this crisis was challenging. With one representative answering endless phone calls and another reviewing emails — which amounted to hundreds of requests per day — the actual window services to individuals were limited to 30 or 40 inquiries daily. What about the rest?

At this point, I had to think creatively and outside of the box. It may sound trivial to some, but we asked ourselves: How do people communicate today in this era? It doesn’t have to be by phone; there are on-line applications. One such application is WhatsApp Business, which is entirely free. Within a few days, we opened a new dedicated WhatsApp account, prepared written responses, and posted the links on our website. This step alone enabled us to effectively handle dozens of inquiries per hour with a single representative. We even connected two or more representatives to the WhatsApp account to work remotely from home, thus allowing for faster and more effective responses and outreach.

We used WhatsApp to send links, forms, and, at a certain stage, even entry permits to Israel. Travelers who received approval at the airport gates were able to save their trips, avoiding significant emotional distress and financial damage. The service was so successful that we received inquiries not only from all over the United States but also from many European countries. Whenever possible, we always provided assistance — it became our motto.

How does one deal with 400 emails per day? Once again, we sat down and thought, finding another entirely free solution: Google Forms. All we needed was a Google account. So, we opened one for the consulate, created an entry permit application form and directed all Israeli citizens who wished to travel to fill out the form. These simple technical solutions, along with the creation of a detailed, informative and user-friendly website, proved to be a winning method.

However, beyond technical solutions, there were aspects that are measured by the consul’s personality or the team’s willingness to make an extra effort. After all, we are a governmental body, not a private entity.

There were aspects that are measured by the consul’s personality or the team’s willingness to make an extra effort. After all, we are a governmental body, not a private entity.

I was forced to make another decision and again, it ran contrary to the notion of social distancing. In November 2020, I decided to fly to three neighboring states (Arizona, Colorado and Nevada) within the consulate’s jurisdiction to assist remote communities with the same general consular needs. Armed with consular stamps and accompanied by security guard, I embarked on concentrated meetings to assist families with children who, for example, needed personal identification.

Our operational methods, creativity, and willingness to help also set an example for other consulates and embassies. We found ourselves supporting and teaching other consulates and diplomatic missions. Moreover, the added value of opening new communication channels and the fact that thousands of American citizens turned to us for assistance paved the way for new relationships between the Consulate General in Los Angeles and the second largest Jewish community in the world.

The added value of opening new communication channels paved the way for new relationships between the Consulate General in Los Angeles and the second largest Jewish community in the world.

The last three years have taught me that during a historic global crisis, accompanied by daily uncertainties, the importance of providing human-to-human services cannot be overstated. In crisis management, there is no substitute for human capital, and there is no substitute for the personal connection that I, as a diplomat and consul, create with individuals. However, in the modern world we live in, there is also no escape from creative technical solutions, even at their simplest level.

As I look back on how I maneuvered through the past three historic years, I am grateful to the uncanny power of technology, but I am even more in awe of the human heart and its capability to transcend logic, bureaucracy and yes, a global pandemic.

Revital Danker is a senior Israeli diplomat and local consul in charge of consular affairs at the Consulate General of Israel. She will soon conclude three challenging, but meaningful years of service on behalf of the State of Israel.