Rafael Harpaz () (born January 8, 1962) is an Israeli

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

in the Israeli Foreign Service. Since September 2024 Harpaz is serving as Israel’s ambassador to the Republic of Korea. From September 2021 until August 2024 Harpaz was serving as Deputy Director General for Asia and the Pacific at Israel Ministry for Foreign Affairs. From 2018 to 2021 Harpaz served as the Israeli

ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

to the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. From 2012 to 2015, he served as the Israeli Ambassador to

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

Biography

Rafael Harpaz was born in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

. As a child, he lived for one year in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, where his family was in a mission at the Jewish community. Harpaz's father, Nissan Harpaz, was the Secretary General of the

Histadrut Histadrut, fully the New General Workers' Federation () and until 1994 the General Federation of Labour in the Land of Israel (, ''HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael''), is Israel's national trade union center and represents the m ...

Trade Union in Jerusalem and won the prestigious honor of the city of Jerusalem for his activities in the field of education. His father also served as a member of the Jerusalem City Council. On June 7, 1967, the day of the liberation of the

Western Wall The Western Wall (; ; Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: ''HaKosel HaMa'arovi'') is an ancient retaining wall of the built-up hill known to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount of Jerusalem. Its most famous section, known by the same name ...

by Israel during the

Six-Day War The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...

, his father, being a reserve education officer, brought the first Torah scroll to the Wall. There is a street named after his father in Jerusalem. His father's family was originally from Poland and Belarus. Harpaz's mother, Rachel Harpaz (maiden name Avisar) was a piano teacher, painter, writer and poet. Her family originated from Iraq and Russia. Harpaz grew up in the Beit HaKerem neighbourhood of Jerusalem and was a member and councilor of the

Scout Movement Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including ...

. Harpaz attended Beit HaKerem Elementary School in Jerusalem (1968–1976). He studied at the Boyar High School in Jerusalem (1976–1980). He served in the

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...

from 1980 to 1983.Harpaz graduated from the Department of International Relations at

Hebrew University The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; ) is an Israeli public research university based in Jerusalem. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Chaim Weizmann in July 1918, the public university officially opened on 1 April 1925. It is the second-ol ...

in 1987 with a B.A. degree in

international relations International relations (IR, and also referred to as international studies, international politics, or international affairs) is an academic discipline. In a broader sense, the study of IR, in addition to multilateral relations, concerns al ...

. From 1987 to 1989, Harpaz participated in the Bank Hapoalim Management Training Course. Harpaz studied in the academic course of the Rothschild Foundation at Hebrew University in 1991 during a special semester dedicated to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs cadets. In 2004, he attended a senior course at the Near East South Asia (NESA) Center of the

National Defense University National Defence (or Defense) University (or College) may refer to: :''Alphabetical by country'' University * Marshal Fahim National Defense University, Afghanistan * National Defense University (Azerbaijan) * People's Liberation Army National Defe ...

(NDU) in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

.Harpaz obtained an M.A. Degree in 2017 in the Executive Program on Diplomacy and Security Studies at

Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) is a Public university, public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Located in northwest Tel Aviv, the university is the center of teaching and ...

with distinction. Harpaz worked for the Education Center of the Youth and Hechalutz Department of the

World Zionist Organization The World Zionist Organization (; ''HaHistadrut HaTzionit Ha'Olamit''), or WZO, is a non-governmental organization that promotes Zionism. It was founded as the Zionist Organization (ZO; 1897–1960) at the initiative of Theodor Herzl at the F ...

and served as a counselor at the Year Course program of the

Young Judaea Young Judaea is a peer-led Zionist youth movement that runs programs throughout the United States for Jewish youth in grades 2–12. In Hebrew, Young Judaea is called ''Yehuda Hatzair'' (יהודה הצעיר) or is sometimes referred to as ''Ha ...

movement in the United States. In addition, he worked as a counselor at Jewish summer camps in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, Canada and

Hartford Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

, United States. Harpaz is married to Shulamit (nee Moshel) and is the father of three children: Assaf, Yoav, and Gil.

Public service and diplomatic career

In 1987, he served as the assistant to the Chairman of the Jerusalem Trade Association. From 1987 to 1989, he participated in the

Bank Hapoalim Bank Hapoalim ( lit. ''The Workers' Bank'') is one of the largest banks in Israel, established in 1921. The bank offers a broad range of financial services to retail, corporate, and institutional customers, with a focus on retail banking services. ...

management training course. In 1989, he was admitted to the Foreign Ministry cadet course and, upon completion, joined the Israeli Foreign Service. He served as the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Israeli Embassy in

Abidjan Abidjan ( , ; N'Ko script, N'ko: ߊߓߌߖߊ߲߬) is the largest city and the former capital of Ivory Coast. As of the Demographics of Ivory Coast, 2021 census, Abidjan's population was 6.3 million, which is 21.5 percent of the overall population ...

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...

(1991–1993).

Switzerland

Harpaz served as the Deputy Chief of Mission in

Bern Bern (), or Berne (), ; ; ; . is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city".; ; ; . According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has gov ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

(1993–1997). He coordinated the efforts of the Embassy regarding the assets held by Swiss banks that belonged to Holocaust victims as well as the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the

First Zionist Congress The First Zionist Congress () was the inaugural congress of the Zionist Organization, Zionist Organization (ZO) held in the Stadtcasino Basel in the city of Basel on August 29–31, 1897. Two hundred and eight delegates from 17 countries and 2 ...

in Basel (1997). Harpaz also coordinated the efforts of the Israeli government to obtain from the Swiss National Archive the names of Jewish refugees whose entry into the country was denied during WWII.

Sweden

Harpaz served as the Deputy Chief of Mission in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

(1999–2003). He coordinated Prime Minister

Ehud Barak Ehud Barak ( ; born Ehud Brog; 12 February 1942) is an Israeli former general and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister from 1999 to 2001. He was leader of the Israeli Labor Party, Labor Party between 1997 and 20 ...

's visit to Sweden (January 2000) for the first meeting of the International Holocaust Forum. It was the first visit of an Israeli Prime Minister to Sweden in 38 years. In December 2002, as the ''chargé'' daffaires'' of the Israeli Embassy while in Sweden, Harpaz served as the official escort at the Nobel Prize ceremony of Israeli-American Professor and Nobel Prize laureate for Economy

Daniel Kahneman Daniel Kahneman (; ; March 5, 1934 – March 27, 2024) was an Israeli-American psychologist best known for his work on the psychology of judgment and decision-making as well as behavioral economics, for which he was awarded the 2002 Nobel Memor ...

. The ceremony took place in the Stockholm City Hall.

Washington, D.C.

Harpaz served at the Israeli Embassy in

as the minister for

public diplomacy In international relations, public diplomacy broadly speaking, is any of the various government-sponsored efforts aimed at communicating directly with foreign publics to establish a dialogue designed to inform and influence with the aim of bui ...

and was in charge of the bilateral relations between Israel and the states of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, as well as the District of Columbia (2005–2009). He coordinated Israel's 60th Independence Day Celebration (2008), the highlight of which was the event at Washington National Mall attended by approximately 70,000 people.

Ambassador to Azerbaijain

From 2012 to 2015, Harpaz served as the Israeli ambassador to

. He presented his credentials to the President of Azerbaijan

Ilham Aliyev Ilham Heydar Oghlu Aliyev (born 24 December 1961) is an Azerbaijani politician who has been the fourth president of Azerbaijan since 2003. He is also the leader of the New Azerbaijan Party since 2005. The son and second child of former Aze ...

on September 5, 2012. In 2013, he accompanied Azerbaijani Foreign Minister

Elmar Mammadyarov Elmar Maharram oglu Mammadyarov (, ; born July 2, 1960) is an Azerbaijani diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan between 7 April 2004 and 16 July 2020. Early life Mammadyarov was born in Baku, then part of the Azerbai ...

on a visit to Israel. This was the first official visit of an Azerbaijaini foreign Minister to Israel since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1993. In September 2013, Harpaz signed an agreement on health cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel's International Development Cooperation Agency MASHAV. In 2014, he coordinated the visit of Israel's Foreign Minister

Avigdor Lieberman Avigdor Lieberman (, ; born 5 June 1958) is a Soviet-born Israeli politician who served as Ministry of Finance (Israel), Minister of Finance between 2021 and 2022, having previously served twice as Deputy Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to ...

to Baku. In media interviews, Harpaz defined Israel-Azerbaijan relations as "strategic relations", with cooperation in many areas. In September 2014, Harpaz coordinated the visit of Israeli Defense Minister

Moshe Yaalon Moshe "Bogie" Ya'alon (; born Moshe Smilansky; 24 June 1950) is an Israeli politician and former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, who also served as Israel's Defense Minister under Benjamin Netanyahu from 2013 until his resignation o ...

to Azerbaijan, the first such visit ever. At the end of September 2014, Harpaz toured the U.S. accompanied by Azerbaijan's Ambassador to the U.S.

Elin Suleymanov Elin Emin oglu Suleymanov () is the Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United Kingdom and former Ambassador of Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States. Early years A career diplomat, Suleymanov was born in Baku, Azerbaijan. He ...

. The tour included meetings and lectures with government officials, members of Congress, organizations, media, and Jewish communities in Washington D.C.,

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, and New York. The joint tour of the two ambassadors was coordinated by the

American Jewish Committee The American Jewish Committee (AJC) is a civil rights group and Jewish advocacy group established on November 11, 1906. It is one of the oldest Jewish advocacy organizations and, according to ''The New York Times'', is "widely regarded as the wi ...

(AJC). In December 2014, Harpaz signed the visa waiver agreement for holders of official passports between the two countries.

Ambassador to the Philippines

In November 2017, Harpaz was appointed as the Israeli Ambassador to the

. He presented his credentials to the president of the Philippines,

Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...

, on August 31, 2018. Immediately after the credentials ceremony, he accompanied President Duterte during his September 2018 visit to Israel. It was the first visit by a sitting Filipino President to Israel. During the visit, Harpaz accompanied President Duterte in his meetings with President Reuben Rivlin and Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who has served as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime min ...

. In July 2019, Harpaz signed a framework agreement of cooperation between the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines and Israel's International Development Cooperation Agency, MASHAV. On August 19, 2019, Harpaz was the keynote speaker at the annual celebration of former President Manuel Quezon's birthday. President Quezon is known as the one who opened the doors of the Philippines to Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. Approximately 1,300 Jews took refuge in the Philippines during World War II. During the war, President Quezon opened his house in the city of Marikina to the Jewish refugees who came to the Philippines. In recognition of this, Harpaz, together with

Marikina Marikina (), officially the City of Marikina (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 4 ...

Mayor Marcelino Teodoro, planted six trees at the site of President Quezon's home on September 25, 2019, to commemorate the six million Holocaust victims. On June 2, 2020, Harpaz delivered an Israeli donation of medical supplies to the Philippine government to help combat the coronavirus. An official turnover ceremony was held at the Philippine Air Force headquarters attended by Defense Secretary

Delfin Lorenzana Delfin Negrillo Lorenzana, OLH, KGOR (born October 28, 1948) is a retired Philippine Army general who served as Chairman of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority from 2022 until September 2024. He previously served as Secretary of N ...

Ambassador to the Republic of Korea

Since September 2024 Harpaz is serving as

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

’s ambassador to the

Republic of Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

. On October 28, 2024 Harpaz presented his credentials to the president of Korea

Yoon Suk Yeol Yoon Suk Yeol (; born 18 December 1960) is a South Korean politician and former prosecutor who served as the 13th president of South Korea from 2022 until Impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, he was removed from office in 2025. The shortest-serving ...

. On November 28, 2024 Ambassador Harpaz visit the National 18.5 Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju and lay a reaf in honor of the Korean citizens that lost there life in the struggle for democracy. On April 23, 2025, Rafael Harpaz was followed and attacked by anti-Israeli persons while having dinner with his family at a restaurant in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

, South Korea. The Israeli embassy to South Korea condemned the attack on ambassador Rafael Harpaz and his family in a statement. The Israeli Ambassador to South Korea will continue to represent Israel with pride. "We thank the many Koreans who sent us messages of support after the shameful incident," he said. On May 19, 2025, Ambassador Harpaz attended and spoke at the opening of South Korea’s first dedicated Holocaust Museum in Paju. The event, led by the Korea Israel Bible Institute (KIBI), marked a significant milestone in Holocaust education and remembrance in the region. Harpaz emphasized in his speech that Holocaust remembrance isn’t optional, but a moral imperative. “Never again” must transition from slogan to actionable promise. In addition he warned against denial and distortion, stating that confronting these threats is essential to preserving justice, memory, and human dignity
Inauguration of the first holocaust museum in Korea

Awards and recognition

President Rodrigo Duterte conferred the Order of Sikatuna with Rank of Datu (Grand Cross) Silver Distinction on outgoing Ambassador of Israel to the Philippines Rafael Harpaz during his farewell call on the President at the Malacanang Palace on June 16, 2021. The award is a diplomatic merit for his exceptional and meritorious services to the Republic of the Philippines and tireless work in advancing cooperation between Israel and the Philippines in the areas of defense, business and innovation, agriculture, and labor migration. The Order of Sikatuna is an award given by the Republic of the Philippines to heads of state, diplomats and public figures for their unique contribution in promoting and strengthening relations between their country and the Philippines. Among the recipients of this award are US President Barack Obama, Japanese Emperor Hirohito, Hillary Clinton, Greek President Stefanopoulos, and more.

References

External links

* An article about Rafael Harpaz in the Swedish Jewish Community newspaper

PH signs P44-B agri project deal with Israel

Embassy of Israel in the Philippines

Ambassador Rafael Harpaz explains the historical ties between Israel and the Philippines in ABS-CBN News Channel

Ambassador Rafael Harpaz discusses the startup nation of Israel in One News - The Chiefs

Ambassador Rafael Harpaz talks about strengthening Philippine-Israel ties in CNN Philippines

Philippine Star - Philippine President Duterte tells Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he hopes for enduring warm ties; deals inked

Meet our new Ambassador - Rafael Harpaz

Business Mirror - Seasoned diplomat is PHL's new Israeli ambassador

Visit Israeli Minister of foreign Affairs in Baku

Israel at 60 celebrations

Duterte's historic visit to Israel: A year after

Duterte confers Order of Sikatuna on outgoing Israeli envoy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harpaz, Rafael 1962 births Ambassadors of Israel to Azerbaijan Living people Azerbaijan–Israel relations Hebrew University of Jerusalem Faculty of Social Sciences alumni Diplomats from Jerusalem Ambassadors of Israel to the Philippines Tel Aviv University alumni