Telling Israel’s story through diplomacy

“You talk–Jerusalem listens.” “Chats in Chicago–heard in the Holy Land.” Whatever new Consul General to the Midwest Yinam Cohen decides to call his upcoming town hall meetings, he is eager to encourage dialogue between Chicago’s Jewish community and the Jewish homeland.

Cohen said he discovered his “dream career”–as a diplomat–after earning degrees in computer science and business administration. A third-generation Jerusalem native, he was raised with strong national pride for Israel. His passion for the Jewish State led him to a career in diplomacy.

Cohen–who arrived in Chicago in August–has shared his love for Israel with people around the world for 15 years and counting. “Diplomacy is the best way to tell the story of Israel,” he said. “But [it’s] also [the way] to create an impact in business between Israel and different countries; to generate change in developing countries; to help local communities develop; and to bring Israeli technologies to every corner of the world.”

His first diplomatic post took him to Colombia. There, he supported a large-scale project to reintegrate ex-guerilla fighters into civic society.

After his time in South America, he relocated to Berlin, where he served as the spokesperson of the embassy. His work in Germany was “really unique, combining the strong present and future of our relations but never putting aside or forgetting the past.”

Subsequently, he returned home to Jerusalem to serve as Diplomatic Advisor to Israel’s Director General.

Then it was on to Madrid where he helped local leaders connect to their cities’ Jewish history and fought the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.

Most recently, Cohen spent three years working for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, first as the director of the U.N. Political Affairs department, and eventually securing the role of senior policy advisor to Foreign Affairs Minister Gabi Ashkenazi.

Cohen calls his role as advisor to Ashkenazi “the most challenging and exciting diplomatic job I’ve done in my career.”

He collaborated with Ashkenazi on two major initiatives: fostering relationships with the newly-elected Biden administration and building new alliances with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco–three Arab countries that recently established diplomatic ties with Israel.

Cohen has witnessed several historic moments in his career, including flying on the first official flight from Tel Aviv to Bahrain: “[I was] part of something that will have a very strong effect not only on the relations between Israel and these countries, but on the stability of the region.”

Chicago marks Cohen’s first U.S. post–a role he looks forward to because of the United States’ strong relationship with the Jewish State. “It’s a great opportunity to further strengthen the bipartisan relations and the unbreakable bond between Israel and the United States,” he said.

He comes to Chicago with his wife Ayelet and their three children, all of whom are attending local Jewish schools while they are here. “It’s so important for us to not only be considered Israeli diplomats but also part of the Jewish community here in Chicago,” he said.

He encourages the Chicago Jewish community to brainstorm issues they’d like to discuss with him. As he makes the rounds, engaging with Jewish Chicago, he says the best way to launch a dialogue is to listen first.

“When you listen and understand,” he said, “you can create solutions.”