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{{Short description|Israeli diplomat}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image               = Yuval Rotem, January 2018 (3166) (cropped).jpg
| name                = Yuval Rotem
| caption             = Yuval Rotem at a conference of heads of Israeli embassies.
| office              = Director General, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
| term_start          = 2016
| term_end            = June 2020
| predecessor         = 
| successor           = [[Alon Ushpiz]]
| constituency        = 
| majority            = 
| office2             = 
| term_start2         = 
| term_end2           = 
| predecessor2        = 
| successor2          = 
| constituency2       = 
| majority2           = 
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1959|03|21|mf=yes}}
| birth_place         = [[Tel Aviv]], [[Israel]]
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| party               = 
| relations           = 
| residence           = Israel
| alma_mater          = 
| occupation          = Ambassador
| signature           = 
| website             = www.mfa.gov.il
| footnotes           = 
| native_name         = יובל רותם
| native_name_lang    = he
}}

'''Yuval Rotem''' ({{langx|he|יובל רותם}}; born March 21, 1959) is an Israeli diplomat who is currently the Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

==Biography==
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=November 2022}}
Yuval Rotem was born in [[Tel Aviv]], [[Israel]], to Rachel and Israel Frenkel, and grew up in [[Givatayim]]. Rotem attended his first years of school in a local school. He moved on to a regional high school, "Yironi Tet" in Tel Aviv. Rotem is fluent in Hebrew and English, and understands Italian.

Following his service in the [[Israel Defense Forces]], he studied Political Science and International Relations at the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]] where he received his B.A. Degree with distinction. Rotem then participated in a special workshop for outstanding students at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a special semester for outstanding students in Georgetown University, [[Washington D.C.]], where he also worked as an Aide to Congressman Richard Gephardt of Missouri. Completing his M.A. degree at the Hebrew University in 1988, he received High Honors for his graduate thesis.

Yuval Rotem is married to Miri with three children.

==Career==

===Early career===
From 1978 through to 1985, Yuval Rotem served as a paramedical assistant and an [[ECG]] technician, in the emergency room in Ichilov Hospital, in [[Tel Aviv]], [[Israel]].
From 1984 until 1985, he also served as a Parliamentary Assistant in the Israeli Parliament ([[Knesset]]) in [[Jerusalem]].
Prior to joining the Diplomatic Corps, he also served as a Parliamentary Assistant to Congressman Richard Gephardt (D-MO) in [[Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.]]

===Diplomatic career===
Yuval Rotem joined the diplomatic corps in 1985. In his first two years, he was part of a cadet course in the training Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In his next two years, he served as a senior assistant to the Policy Advisor to the Foreign Minister. Rotem was first selected for an overseas posting in 1989, where he served as Chief Spokesman for Israel’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and also for the Consulate General of Israel in New York. Upon his return in 1993, he became a Senior Assistant in the office of the Deputy Foreign Minister, and later, a Director of the office of the Senior Deputy Director. In 1995, Mr. Rotem was chosen by then Foreign Minister [[Ehud Barak]] to be his Senior Policy Advisor for the Peace Process.

Following Israel's national elections in 1996, Rotem was appointed to the position of Chief of Staff to the Foreign Minister, serving in that capacity under Foreign Minister [[David Levy (Israeli politician)|David Levy]] and then under Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]. In 1999, Mr. Rotem was reappointed for a second term as Chief of Staff to the Foreign Minister.
In 1999, Rotem was selected for his second overseas posting, this time as Consul General of Israel in [[Los Angeles, California]]. This posting included most of the Western region of the [[United States of America|USA]]- Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Hawaii, Wyoming and Southern California.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.israelemb.org/la/publicaffairs/speakers/yuvalrotem.htm |title=Yuval Rotem |access-date=2008-09-06 |archive-date=2003-08-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030820131302/http://www.israelemb.org/la/publicaffairs/speakers/yuvalrotem.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Rotem had a strong connection with the Jewish Community in Los Angeles and frequently visited and spoke to the community.<ref>[http://www.jewishjournal.com/community_briefs/article/q_a_with_yuval_rotem_20040730/ Q&A with Yuval Rotem] {{Archive url|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009062818/http://www.jewishjournal.com/community_briefs/article/q_a_with_yuval_rotem_20040730/|date=2012-10-09}}</ref>
In 2003, Rotem received the rank of an [[Ambassador]] by Benjamin Netanyahu, then the Foreign Minister. This made Rotem the youngest career Diplomat with a rank of an Ambassador in the Foreign Ministry (Until 2014).

Upon his return from Los Angeles, Rotem took his time for further education. Rotem took on two courses: "Board of Governance for High-Ranking Officials, for Government Owned Companies" and "Concepts of Investments for Private & Public Clients". These were offered by HAMIL, a special school for Directors. It took place in Ramat Gan, Israel.

After three years, Rotem was assigned to be Ambassador of Israel to [[List of ambassadors of Israel to Australia|Australia]] and non-resident Ambassador to [[List of ambassadors of Israel to New Zealand|New Zealand]], Papua New Guinea and [[List of ambassadors of Israel to Fiji|Fiji]].

After his arrival in Australia, Rotem further promoted the relationship between [[Israel]], and its [[Oceania]]n allies. Rotem initiated a special motion in the [[Parliament of Australia]] celebrating Israel's 60th year of Independence in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://canberra.mfa.gov.il/mfm/web/main/document.asp?DocumentID=134381&MissionID=2 |title=Israel Motion |access-date=2008-09-06 |archive-date=2011-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721141246/http://canberra.mfa.gov.il/mfm/web/main/document.asp?DocumentID=134381&MissionID=2 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Rotem was part of Governor General Michael Jeffery's first state visit to Israel and participated in the opening of the Park of the Australian Soldier in [[Beersheba]]. The event was hosted by Israel President [[Shimon Peres]].<ref name="Israeli Embassy in Canberra">[http://canberra.mfa.gov.il/mfm/web/main/document.aspDocumentID=134910&MissionID=2 Michael Jeffery visits Israel]</ref>

In 2014, Rotem was appointed Senior Deputy Director General, heading the Israeli Foreign Ministry's Public Diplomacy Directorate. In this position, Rotem oversaw the activity of the Directorate's three main parts: The Media and Public Affairs Division, the Division for Cultural and Scientific Affairs and the Bureau for World Jewish Affairs and World Religions.

In October 2016, Yuval Rotem was appointed <ref>[http://gpoeng.gov.il/media-center/pm-news/pm-netanyahu-appoints-yuval-rotem-as-acting-director-general-of-the-foreign-ministry-in-place-of-dore-gold/ Appointed acting Director General]</ref> by Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] as the Israeli Foreign Ministry's acting Director General. Later in 2016 Rotem was permanently appointed as Foreign Affairs Ministry's Director General.

In 2020 Rotem ended his term, being replaced by [[Alon Ushpiz]].

==See also==
* [[Ambassadors of Israel]]
* [[Israel-New Zealand relations]]

==External links==
* [http://canberra.mfa.gov.il Embassy of Israel, Canberra, Australia]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080907025515/http://ajn.com.au/ Australian Jewish News]
* {{YouTube|fHHiMsvo96I|Interview with Yuval Rotem}}
* [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/terrorism/news/article.cfm?c_id=340&objectid=10490298&ref=rss Try wearing Israeli shoes] by Yuval Rotem, New Zealand Herald, February 3, 2008. (Yuval Rotem's Reply to [[Matt McCarten]] calling Israel ‘a terrorist state that is able to wage crimes on an innocent people’)
* [http://gpoeng.gov.il/media-center/pm-news/pm-netanyahu-appoints-yuval-rotem-as-acting-director-general-of-the-foreign-ministry-in-place-of-dore-gold/ PM Netanyahu Appoints Yuval Rotem as Acting Director General of the Foreign Ministry]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Diplomacy}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rotem, Yuval}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Israeli Jews]]
[[Category:Israeli civil servants]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Israel to Australia]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Israel to New Zealand]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Israel to Papua New Guinea]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Israel to Fiji]]
[[Category:Diplomats from Tel Aviv]]
[[Category:Consuls for Israel]]