Study Room, Malacañan Palace
January 31, 2019

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte talked with H.E. Rafael Harpaz, Ambassador of the State of Israel to the Republic of the Philippines, in a courtesy call at the Study Room of Malacañan Palace.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, National Security Council (NSC) Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr., and DFA Office of Middle East and African Affairs Assistant Secretary Leslie Baja joined the President in the meeting.

Ambassador Harpaz completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and Supplementary Studies from the Hebrew University. He finished his Master’s degree in Diplomacy and Security Studies from the Tel Aviv University with distinction.

He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in 1989, and worked as Export Control Coordinator of Division of Strategic Affairs in 2003, Head of Economic Department of Africa and Americas in 2009, and Director of the Central Asia and Caucasus Department of MFA in 2015.

Ambassador Harpaz also became the Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of Israel in Abidjan of Ivory Coast in 1991, Bern of Switzerland in 1993, and Stockholm of Sweden in 1999. Thereafter, he served in the Embassy of Israel in Washington D.C. as the Director of Public Affairs Department in 2005, and as Ambassador to Azerbaijan from 2012-2015.

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