Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Monday appointed former Yesha Council Chairman Dani Dayan as the next Israeli consul general in New York.
“This is an important statement to the world,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely. “The State of Israel is blessed with a worthy representative living in the communities of Judea and Samaria who will carry an important message in accordance with the government of Israel, standing behind Dani as a faithful and worthy representative of the country.”
The Yesha Council, which Dayan headed, is an umbrella organization representing the Jewish municipalities in Judea and Samaria.
Dayan’s appointment to the position is significant in light of the recent controversy surrounding his prior nomination to be Israel’s ambassador to Brazil. The appointment faced strong opposition from some officials in Brazil due to Dayan’s residency in Judea and Samaria. Many in the international community oppose Jewish-Israeli residency in Judea and Samaria.
Dayan will replace Ido Aharoni, a Foreign Ministry official, this coming summer.
“Those who don’t want me in Brasilia, will get me in the capital of the world and to me that is a victory,” Dayan said on Monday. “I believe I can revolutionize Israeli public relations in the US, whose beating heart is in New York.”
Dayan, 59, was born in Argentina, and has an MBA in finance. He lives in the settlement of Ma’ale Shomron.
In August, Dayan was announced as Israel’s next envoy to Brasilia, but Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff passed on messages to Israel that she was uncomfortable with the appointment because of Dayan’s ties to West Bank settlements.
Tazpit News Agency
{Matzav.com Israel}
