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Mark Regev

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Mark Regev
מארק רגב‎
Ambassador of Israel to the United Kingdom
In office
April 2016 – 2020
PresidentReuven Rivlin
Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu
Preceded byDaniel Taub
Succeeded byTzipi Hotovely
Personal details
Born
Mark Freiberg

1960 (age 63–64)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
CitizenshipIsrael
SpouseVered Regev
Children3
EducationMount Scopus Memorial College
Alma materMelbourne University
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Boston University
OccupationDiplomat and civil servant

Mark Regev (Hebrew: מארק רגב; born 1960) is an Australian-Israeli diplomat, government advisor and civil servant.[1] Between June 2020 and April 2021, he served as the Prime Minister's Senior Advisor for Foreign Affairs and International Communications. From 2016 to 2020 Regev was Ambassador of Israel to the United Kingdom. Previously, he was the International Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office (2007 to 2016).

Early life

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Regev was born Mark Freiberg in Melbourne, where he was raised, in Victoria, Australia, in 1960 to Martin and Freda Freiberg, two German Jews.[2][3] He was educated at Mount Scopus Memorial College, a Jewish day school in Melbourne.[4] He received his bachelor's degree in political science and history at the University of Melbourne, and master's degrees in political science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and in management from Boston University.[5][better source needed]

In his youth, Freiberg was a prominent member of the Socialist Zionist youth movement Ichud Habonim and was active in the Melbourne University Jewish Students Society.[6] In 1982, he emigrated to Israel and worked at kibbutz Tel Katzir.[6] In Israel, he Hebraicized his surname from Freiberg to Regev.[6] He served as a combat soldier in the Nahal Brigade of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).[7]

Career

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Regev at an International Holocaust Remembrance Day event at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London on January 23, 2019.

Regev began his career as a lecturer on international relations and strategy at the Israel Defense Forces Staff College.[5] He joined Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1990, serving as deputy chief of mission at the Consulate General in Hong Kong, and spokesman at the Israeli Embassy in Beijing.[8][better source needed] In 2015 Regev was appointed to replace Daniel Taub as Israel's ambassador to the UK; he officially assumed his position on April 4, 2016.[9]

As ambassador, Regev was involved in interfaith activities. He hosted an iftar dinner at his residence for members of Britain's Muslim leadership.[7][better source needed] He served as ambassador for four years before returning to Israel in August 2020 to become prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Senior Advisor for Foreign Affairs and International Communications, replacing Evan Cohen.[10] Regev was succeeded by Tzipi Hotovely.[11]

In 2022 Regev was appointed to be the chair of the Abba Eban Institute for Diplomacy and Foreign Relations at Reichman University.[12]

Regev has received both prominence and criticism in international media when he has presented the Israeli position in interviews to English language TV[13] and radio channels[14] during the 2006 Lebanon War, the 2008–09 Gaza War, the 2012 Operation Pillar of Defense, the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict and Operation Brother's Keeper, and the 2021 Operation Guardian of the Walls. In 2020, he described the two-state solution as an "illusion" that could never be implemented successfully.[15]

During the Israel–Hamas war, Regev made several controversial remarks about the conflict, including denying Israeli responsibility for the flour massacre and suggesting collective punishment as a means of forcing the release of Israeli hostages.[16] In one interview on MSNBC, host Medhi Hasan accused Regev and other Israeli government figures of spreading disinformation about civilian casualties in Gaza.[17] He appeared on British radio station LBC on the 13th of January, 2024 to call genocide allegations against Israel "preposterous."[18] In the same interview, he described South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice as "very sad, because they basically decided to become Hamas' lawyer."[18]

Regev is married to Vered Regev and they have three children.[19][6][better source needed]

Genocide case

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Amid allegations that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, Aboriginal activist Robbie Thorpe brought a private prosecution against Regev in 2024. Thorpe accused Regev of "advocating genocide", a crime included in section 80.2D of the Australian Criminal Code.[16] Regev was served in Israel with a Hebrew copy of the charge sheet.[20] The charge was based on remarks Regev made during a radio interview on 10 October 2023 in which he advocated for Israel to cut off the supply of essentials such as food, water and electricity to Gaza. Lawyers for the Israeli government contacted the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions and formally requested the dismissal of the case; further hearings were scheduled for 10 December.[21]

References

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  1. ^ "Israel Senior Advisor Talks Israel Hamas War, Diplomacy - Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  2. ^ "Aussie Regev becomes Israel's man in the UK - The Australian Jewish News". 7 April 2016.
  3. ^ Bourke, Latika (2018-07-21). "The Aussie boy who's at home spruiking for Israel". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  4. ^ The (Aussie) voice of Israel - In Depth, The Age
  5. ^ a b "mfa.gov".
  6. ^ a b c d Mark Regev News, UPI
  7. ^ a b "Israel's man in London: Ambassador Mark Regev will go anywhere - Israel News - Jerusalem Post". www.jpost.com. Retrieved 2019-07-04.
  8. ^ Mark Regev, Spokesman, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, 15 November 2004
  9. ^ "Mark Regev starts job as Israel's UK ambassador". The Jewish Chronicle. 4 April 2016.
  10. ^ Ahren, Raphael (12 August 2020). "After four years in the UK, Mark Regev returns to Netanyahu's office". The Times of Israel.
  11. ^ Ahren, Raphael (11 June 2020). "Settlements minister confirms she'll be Israel's new ambassador to the UK". The Times of Israel.
  12. ^ Julian, Hana Levi (23 May 2022). "Mark Regev to Head Abba Eban Institute of Diplomacy at Reichman University". The Jewish Press.
  13. ^ Mark Regev on Israel, conflict and antisemitism, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-09-23
  14. ^ "Political Thinking with Nick Robinson - The Mark Regev One - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  15. ^ "Israel's ex-UK ambassador Mark Regev warns of 'two-state illusion'". BBC News. 3 July 2020.
  16. ^ a b Fink, Rachel (22 October 2024). "Australian-Israeli Former Diplomat Mark Regev Under Trial for Genocide Advocacy". Haaretz.
  17. ^ Clark, Jeffrey (17 November 2023). "Tempers flare on MSNBC as Mehdi Hasan argues with Israeli official: Your government 'killed children'". Fox News.
  18. ^ a b Netanyahu's adviser calls genocide allegations 'preposterous' | LBC, retrieved 2024-01-17
  19. ^ Ambassador Regev Arrives in the UK, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, 5 April 2016
  20. ^ Gregoire, Paul (7 November 2024). "Prosecuting the King, the Attorney General and a Netanyahu Advisor Over Genocide: A Yarn with Uncle Robbie Thorpe". Sydney Criminal Lawyers.
  21. ^ "Aboriginal activist files genocide case against ex-Israel envoy to UK in Australia court". Middle East Monitor. 21 October 2024.
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