Longtime Israeli diplomat Hillel Newman has been tapped to serve as Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles, the consulate confirmed on Feb. 14.
“He was chosen as the potential appointee and the cabinet has to approve it,” a consulate representative told the Journal, adding that he expects Newman’s approval to happen before Israel’s elections in April.
Newman is slated to succeed Sam Grundwerg, who was appointed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2016 and officially ended his term here in November, cutting short to almost two-and-a-half years what is ordinarily a three- or four-year term.
Since his departure, Ambassador Eitan Na’eh has been serving as Israel’s Acting Consul General in Los Angeles.
Newman is originally from Cape Town, South Africa. He currently serves in the strategic division of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2008-2013, he was Israel’s ambassador to Uzbekistan and previously served as deputy consul at the Consulate General of Israel to New England. He holds a PhD in Jewish history.
The Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles, one of Israel’s largest diplomatic missions in the world, covers the entire Southwest region of the United States, including Southern California, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Utah and Wyoming.
The Consulate is an official office of the government of Israel.
Previous Consul Generals in Los Angeles have fostered personal relationships with Jewish community leaders and public officials in Los Angeles; conducted outreach to the city’s Latino and Asian communities and developed ties with entertainment industry leaders.
