Israel

Israel is Europe’s third largest trading partner in the Middle East and its economic performance is among the strongest in the OECD. Israel is also a major political and security actor in the Middle East and Mediterranean basin. As a result, Europe and Israel share important strategic objectives, including combating terrorism and extremism, fostering stability, regional cooperation, and peace. The cooperation with Europe is vast and includes areas, such as cyber security, counter-terrorism, agriculture, water and food security, and innovation. The discovery of gas in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea opened further opportunities for cooperation.

Scientific collaboration is a fundamental component of the bilateral relations. Both Israeli and European academic institutions rank yearly among the most innovative worldwide. With high rates of R&D funding and a record number of start-ups, Israel is a central hub for global science and innovation. The scientific cooperation contributed to breakthroughs in research in multiple sectors, from smart irrigation, through child tumors and robotics. 

Europe and Israel share fundamental values and strategic interests and benefit from robust economic relations despite political differences. ELNET’s mission and programs serve to enhance mutual understanding of these common values and interests. 

Knesset

ELNET in Israel

ELNET’s Israeli office serves as a central hub in the network, facilitating delegations and dialogues in cooperation with ELNET’s European affiliates and Friends of ELNET in the US. The Israeli office is also responsible for developing strong relationships with Israeli decision-makers, research institutes, businesses and civil society leaders. Under the leadership of an international board, ELNET-Israel fosters Israeli-Europe ties, while educating the Israeli policymakers about the importance of strengthening relations with Europe. 

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Professional Team »

Benjamin Touati

Chief Operations Officer, ELNET-Israel
Benjamin Touati is a former representative of the Jewish Agency in Paris, political advisor of Israeli ministers and director in national institutions, including World Mizrahi Movement, with vast experience in project management in public and non-governmental sectors. He holds an MBA from the Jerusalem College of Technology and a BA in History from Paris University.

Pascaline Wagemans

Director of ELNET's Forum of Strategic Dialogue, ELNET-Israel
Former Deputy Director (2017 to 2022) and Project & Research Manager (2014 to 2017) at the FSD, Project & Research Coordinator at ELNET (2013 to 2014), and an evidence-based consultant (2010 to 2011) and Business Analyst (2008 to 2009) at IMS Health, a leading global information and technology services company. Ms. Wagemans holds an MA in conflict resolution and mediation from Tel Aviv University, as well as an MA and a BA in Business Engineering from Solvay Business School.

Yossi Abravanel

Deputy Executive Director, ELNET-Israel
Yossi Abravanel is a former entrepreneur in the fields of telecom and homeland security in Israel and beyond, with extensive experience in work vis-à-vis governments in West Africa and Israel, and as a Jewish Agency’s Aliyah representative in Paris. He holds an MBA from the University of Sorbonne and a BA from Jerusalem College of Technology.

Jill Wyler

Delegations Program Manager, ELNET-Israel
Jill Wyler held various professional positions in Israel and her last position prior to joining ELNET was as the Israel representative of a Washington based independent academic organization which focused on enhancing knowledge about modern Israel at universities in the United States and around the world. At ELNET she is a Program manager within the Delegations department, which deals with dozens of ELNET parliamentarian delegations visiting Israel each year. Jill has a master's degree in International Relations, with a focus on diplomacy and foreign policy, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations and German Literature.

Yasmin Burk

Chief Financial Officer, ELNET-Israel
Yasmin Burk is an accounting professional with experience in management and accounting in private and non-governmental sectors. She studied accounting and economics at the Open University in Tel Aviv.
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Ben Rosemblaum

Deputy Communication Manager, ELNET-Israel
Ben Rosemblaum evolved in the art field, both as a painter and a photographer. In between artistic projects, he graduated from Reichman University in Herzliya, where he specialized in Counter-Terrorism and European studies. In parallel to exhibiting his artwork worldwide, Ben was a communication manager at the “France-Israel” Foundation, later specializing in the Maghreb region while working in the private sector. Before joining ELNET, he was an educator in Mikve Israel Boarding School in Holon, and opened his own art gallery in Tel Aviv. He has joined ELNET following the October 7 attacks. His black and white pictures, often taken during ELNET solidarity missions in the south, have illustrated the book: "October 7: Manifesto Against the Erasing of a Crime" (Reinharc Editions)
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Dalmionë Shkodra

Project Manager for ELNET’s Forum of Strategic Dialogue, ELNET-Israel
Dalmionë has an extensive background in diplomacy and homeland security. Prior to joining ELNET-Israel she worked as a recruiter specialist for the International School of Reichman University. She served in the Israeli Defense Forces in the International Branch Unit. Dalmionë holds an MA in Government and Homeland Security from Reichman University, Hezliya.

Anna Kaufman

Logistics and Office Manager, ELNET-Israel
Anna is a dynamic professional with a strong sense of motivation, curiosity, and a passion for continuous growth. She holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry, and an MBA. For the past 18 years, Anna has been a key player at IMA - International Medical Assistance, Israel’s leading provider of global medical assistance services. Starting her career as a Medical Cases Manager, she steadily advanced through various leadership roles, ultimately reaching the position of Vice President. Throughout her tenure, Anna has fostered valuable relationships across multiple industries, including medicine, insurance, aviation, and travel, all while navigating a rapidly evolving field. In addition to her extensive experience in medical assistance, Anna is also a graduate of the UX Design program at the Open University Institute. There, she developed expertise in characterizing and designing user experiences using tools such as Axure and Adobe XD, working on projects across various sectors.

Executive Committee »

Sam Pinto

Chairman, Member of the Executive Committee ELNET-Israel
After a successful career in the banking sector across France, Asia, and the USA—primarily with the Edmond de Rothschild Group—Sam Pinto made aliyah to Israel in 2009. Following his move, Pinto dedicated himself to philanthropic efforts, including Baït Ham, which provides support to youngsters from poor families, and Kiah-Alliance, the Israeli branch of the Alliance Israélite Universelle. He also supports the Franco-Israeli high school of Mikve Israel and Agudat Sabah, an organization that promotes educational activities in remote Israeli towns.

Larry Hochberg​

Member of the Executive Committee ELNET-Israel
Mr. Larry Hochberg is an internationally renowned lay leader and philanthropist who served as National Chairman of the Friends of the IDF, National Officer of AIPAC, and held national leadership positions with the UJC, UJA, the Annual and Israel Emergency Campaigns of Chicago’s Jewish United Fund. Mr. Hochberg chaired the Advisory Committee of the American Jewish Committee’s Chicago chapter and served on the Dean’s Council of Northwestern University. He is is the founder, CEO and chairman of Sportmart Inc. acquired by Sports Authority.

Andrew Hochberg

Member of the Executive Committee ELNET-Israel
Mr. Andrew Hochberg is a board member of Friends of ELNET and Chairman of the Board of ELNET-Israel. Mr. Hochberg is a leader in the Chicago Jewish community, serving as Chairman of the Board for the Jewish Federation of Chicago, and formerly chairing its Overall Planning and Allocation Committee and Government Affairs Committee. Mr. Hochberg led fundraising for the Jewish Day School Guaranty Trust Fund and served as a presidential appointee to the US Holocaust Memorial Committee. He is a founder and CEO of a real estate investment firm Next Realty. He holds BS in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and Juris Doctor from Northwestern University.

Amb. Danny Ayalon

Member of the Executive Committee ELNET-Israel
Danny Ayalon is an Israeli diplomat, columnist and businessman. He served as Deputy Foreign Minister and as a member of the Knesset. He was the Israeli Ambassador to the United States from 2002 until 2006. Previously, he worked as senior foreign policy advisor to Prime Ministers Ariel Sharon, Ehud Barak, and Benjamin Netanyahu. He has also served as a Member of the Executive Board, University Center, Ariel; Vice Chair of the Israel-America Chamber of Commerce, and a Board Member of the America-Israel Friendship League.

Board of Trustees »

Sam Pinto

Chairman, Member of the Board of Trustees ELNET-Israel
After a successful career in the banking sector across France, Asia, and the USA—primarily with the Edmond de Rothschild Group—Sam Pinto made aliyah to Israel in 2009. Following his move, Pinto dedicated himself to philanthropic efforts, including Baït Ham, which provides support to youngsters from poor families, and Kiah-Alliance, the Israeli branch of the Alliance Israélite Universelle. He also supports the Franco-Israeli high school of Mikve Israel and Agudat Sabah, an organization that promotes educational activities in remote Israeli towns.

Alain Fraiberger

Alain Fraiberger is a French entrepreneur who has established, run, and taken public international corporations in the fields of software, engineering, and real estate. He is also a private pilot who’s flown with his wife their private jet to North America, Europe, and the South Pacific. Mr. Fraiberger is a contemporary art connoisseur whose private collection includes Agam, César, Basquiat, Buren, and Dubuffet. In 2010 he and his wife Candice drove a car from Geneva to Beijing via Central Asia. They made aliya in 2016 and are on the Board of Ben-Gurion University. Alain Fraiberger graduated in engineering from the prestigious Ecole Centrale de Paris.

Candice Fraiberger

Candice Fraiberger is a French fashion designer whose prestigious line of upscale women clothing had over fifty stores on five continents. She is also a private pilot who’s flown with her husband their private jet to North America, Europe, and the South Pacific. In 2010 she and her husband Alain drove a car from Geneva to Beijing via Central Asia. They made aliya in 2016 and are on the Board of Ben-Gurion University.

Edward Gelbard

Fundraising Coordinator
Edward Gelbard is an Australian businessman who has operated as an investor in the Flexible Plastics Industry for over 40 years. His investments have been multinational and have included manufacturing plants in Australia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Russia, the Baltic States, and Romania. He also has hands-on industry experience in France, Germany, Holland, Poland, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Claude Grundman-Brightman

Claude Grundman-Brightman is a French-born Israeli architect, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She is the president of the Netanya Academic College’s French-speaking campus, where she’s built cross-border partnerships with francophone countries and regions around the world, and where she chairs international conferences with the world’s top scholars and decision-makers. As an architect, she has designed prestigious museums in Europe, in Israel, and in Africa. Claude is a board member of the Ghetto Fighter’s Museum, and of the “Larger than Life” charity for the struggle against pediatric cancer. She was awarded the légion d’honneur, France’s highest distinction, for her contribution to French culture and to France-Israel relations.

Gabriel Goldberg

Gabriel Goldberg is an American-born Israeli engaged in public diplomacy on behalf of Israel for four decades, primarily in German-speaking Europe and in Scandinavia. He is the Director of Hasbara Yisraelit in Israel and CFO of the charitable fund LZI, assisting various humanitarian and educational institutions in Israel. He holds a B.A. and M.A. in history from UCLA, specializing in Holocaust studies.

Janet Gordon

Ms. Janet Gordon serves as Vice President of the Geller Foundation. The foundation provides financial support to 43 private Jewish schools throughout the U.S. She assists approximately 1,500 students at ten different universities in Israel with accounting and interest free loans. Ms. Gordon studied business at the Pratt Institute in New York City. She has held positions in France, Germany and Israel in the private sectors as an accountant. Ms. Gordon is also a member of Israeli American Council (IAC), Merona Leadership Foundation, StandWIthUs and AIPAC.

Daniel Horowitz

Daniel Horowitz is a Belgian-Israeli businessman, author, and musician. His family returned to Antwerpen after the Second World War, where he built a successful career in the diamonds industry and served as President of Keren Hayesod (United Israel Appeal). He now lives in Israel and dedicates his time to philanthropy, writing, and music.

Albert Levy

Albert (Abraham) Levy is an economist and an entrepreneur who has founded and managed successful companies in the fields of computing, air quality, and real estate in France, the United States, the Far East, and Israel. Albert holds an MA in economics from Paris University and an MBA from ESSEC. He also holds a political science degree from Sciences-Po and has pursued graduate studies in political science at Tel Aviv University. Albert is a seasoned sailor who crossed the Atlantic and Pacific oceans on his own sailboat together with his wife Joëlle (Yael), a medical doctor.

Adam Milstein

Adam Milstein is a Managing Partner at Hager Pacific Properties. A native of Israel, he served in the IDF during the Yom Kippur War and graduated from the Technion in 1978. He is a venture philantropreneur, supporting pro-Israel and pro-American causes that fight hate, antisemitism, and bigotry on college campuses and beyond. He and his wife Gila co-founded the Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation, empowering a wide range of organizations, as well as launching new ones, to strengthen the Jewish people, support the State of Israel, and protect the American way of life.

Advisory Board Members »

Danielle Abraham

Danielle Abraham has spent her career in Israel dedicated to connecting Israeli expertise to global needs. She is the co-founder and Executive Director of Volcani International Partnerships. an NGO tackling food and nutrition insecurity worldwide with Israeli agricultural expertise. Danielle served as a senior policy advisor in MASHAV, Israel’s agency for International Development Cooperation at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In this role she represented Israel, as a guest speaker, at the UN, OECD and German Development Bank. Danielle made Aliyah from London, where she worked for the British Government. Danielle holds a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Oxford and lives in Tel Aviv with her family.

Maj. Gen. (Res) Yaakov Amidror

General Amidror was National Security Advisor to Prime Minister Netanyahu and chairman of the National Security Council (2011-2013). He served for 36 years in senior IDF posts (1966-2002), including as a commander of the Military Colleges, military secretary to the Minister of Defense, director of the Intelligence Analysis Division in Military Intelligence, and chief intelligence officer of the Northern Command. Today, he is Senior Fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies, a leading security think tank.

Anne Baer

French and Israeli, Anne Baer is the CEO of iKare Innovation, advising investors, startups, and governments on sustainable innovation, R&D partnerships and climate change. Previously she acted as Innovation expert on behalf of the French Foreign Ministry to Israel, as sustainability expert at the UN (1992-2000) and as attachée for the Israeli Foreign Ministry in Kinshasa/RDC (1989-). She was senior advisor to the Israeli coalition government, and took part in the official delegation to the COP27 on behalf of the regional cooperation ministry (2021-22). She is also acting as a professional trainer and speaker on behalf of Israel’s foreign ministry and foreign aid and cooperation agency. French Foreign Trade Advisor in Israel since 2013, she was elected at the Paris board in 2023 and acts as its President Committee since 2019. She is co-founder of Women-in-Tech in Israel (2020-). She teaches environmental, technological gender diplomacy and startup pitch training, at HEIP-Paris in the Master of Business diplomacy (2021-). She graduated in Political Science, Cooperation and International Relations from the Hebrew University (B.A. Jerusalem, 1988) and from the Sorbonne (M.A. 1992). She was made a knight of the Order of Merit (2021) by the French government.

Amb. Dani Dayan

Dani Dayan is the Chairman of Yad Vashem. Previously, he was the Consul General of Israel in New York, accredited also to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Ohio. Previously he served as the Chairman of the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria. For more than two decades, he was Chairman and CEO of a group of information technology firms. Dayan holds an M.Sc. in Finance and B.Sc. in Economics and Computer Science.

Dr. Sarah Fainberg

Dr. Sarah-Masha Fainberg is a Senior Researcher and Head of the Great Powers Research Program at Tel Aviv University’s Elrom Center for Air and Space Studies, specializing in Russian and Chinese policy in the MENA region. She also lectures in the MA Program for Security and Diplomacy Studies at Tel Aviv University and is an Adjunct Professor of Israeli Affairs at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. An expert of Soviet and post-Soviet politics, Dr. Fainberg has lectured and conducted research at Columbia University’s Harriman Institute for Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies, Harvard University’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and St. Petersburg State University in Russia, among others. She also served as Research Associate at Israel’s leading think tank, the Institute for National Security Studies, focusing on Russia’s policy in the Middle East and Russia-Israel relations. In the framework of her research, Dr. Fainberg has conducted extensive fieldwork in Russia and Ukraine. Her latest fieldwork was conducted in Kyiv in the Summer of 2023. Beyond academia, Dr. Fainberg has played key roles in strategic planning across various institutions. She has served as a Senior Advisor at Israel’s Ministry of Defense, has provided ad hoc strategic planning for different organizations across the United States and Europe, and has delivered briefings to governmental organizations in Israel, Europe, and the United States, including for the U.S. Congress. She is also a board member of ELNET. Dr. Fainberg is a graduate of the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris and holds an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Comparative Politics from Sciences Po, Paris.

Shimrit Meir

Shimrit Meir is the former diplomatic advisor to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Prior to that, she served as the CEO of ‘Link – the Center for Strategic Communication in the Middle East’. She is the founding editor of Israel's largest Arabic media outlet Al-Masdar, is a leading Middle East analyst and longtime journalist with more than 15 years of experience researching and covering the Arab world, and the Palestinians in particular. Fluent in Arabic, Hebrew, English and French, Ms. Meir was the Arab affairs correspondent and commentator for Galei Zahal, one of Israel’s top news channels, and worked for both Israeli public television and for Channel 2 News, the country’s largest commercial station. Ms. Meir headed a Jewish-Arab team of young journalists that delivers stories from Israel to the Arab world, using web and social media platforms. The team has a Facebook community of more than 2.2 million people across the regions and operates a highly popular news website.

Dan Meridor

Dan Meridor is former Deputy Prime Minister of Israel, Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy, and Minister of Justice. Mr. Meridor was Chairman of Israel's Defence Doctrine Committee and served as Chairman of The Jerusalem Foundation, Deputy Chairman of the Board of INSS (Institute for National Security Studies), and a Senior Fellow at Israel Democracy Institute. He served also as the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee of the Knesset.

Amb. Emmanuel Nahshon

Emmanuel Nahshon is a former Israeli Ambassador and former Deputy Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Nahshon was born in France in 1961, and made aliyah with his family in 1969. Following his military service during the 1982 Lebanon War, he studied Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is a member of the Israeli Bar Association. Nahshon joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1992 and served in Venezuela, Brussels/EU, Turkey, Germany and Belgium . Emmanuel Nahshon was the MFA’s spokesperson and its Deputy DG for Public Diplomacy. Nahshon is married to Michal Philosoph, an Israeli diplomat as well. He speaks Hebrew, English, French, German and Spanish .

Itamar Rabinovitch

President of The Israel Institute in Washington, he is also Professor Emeritus of Middle Eastern History of Tel Aviv University and a Distinguished Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He is the Vice-Chairman of the INSS, and a Senior Research Fellow at the Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies. He formerly served as Israel’s Ambassador to the US. He was Chief Negotiator with Syria in the mid-1990s. He served as President of Tel Aviv University from 1999 to 2007. Ambassador Prof. Rabinovich served as Ettinger Professor of Contemporary History of the Middle-East, Chairman of the Department of Middle Eastern Studies, Director of the Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, Dean of Humanities and Rector. He is the author of 14 booked the latest being: 'Middle Eastern Maze, Israel, The Arabs and The Region 1948-2022'.

Dr. Maya Sion - Tzidkiyahu

Dr. Maya Sion - Tzidkiyahu is the Director of the Israel – Europe Relations Program at Mitvim Institute. She specializes in the European Union and its relations with Israel. Maya is a lecturer at the European Forum and at the Federmann School of Public Policy and Governance at the Hebrew University, and at the European Union Studies Program at Tel Aviv University. She is a co-founder of DemoCrisis and was the Co-President of the Israeli Association for the Study of European Integration. Maya has a PhD in European Studies and Political Science (Comparative Politics) from the Hebrew University and was a fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM), Vienna.

Brig. Gen. (Res) Sima Vaknin Gill

Brig. Gen. (Res.) Sima Vaknin Gill is a former intelligence officer in the IAF, the former Chief Censor of the State of Israel, and the former Director General of the Ministry of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy. She is a member of the Governing Board of CAM - Combat Antisemitism Movement and the VP, and board member of strategy and development at ISGAP – The Institute for the Study of Antisemitism and Policy. Sima is an expert in intelligence work, web monitoring and research, data and research-based activity, contemporary Antisemitism, de-legitimization and BDS against Israel. Sima holds a B.A. in Middle Eastern Studies and International Relations and an MA in National Security Studies from the National Defense College. Currently she is involved in several initiatives to combating Antisemitism. SHe is a board member of Schlichut School of JAFI, Hetz, NCRI, and more.

Contact Information »

Jerusalem
Tel: +972 (0) 73 7370 546
E-mail: info@elnetwork.eu