Diplomats in danger

The triad of attacks against representatives of Israel over the last two days, which fortunately ended with injuries, not deaths, exposed a little-known aspect of the lives of Foreign Ministry emissaries around the world. The common public perception of diplomacy, in the best-case scenario, is one of official events, lots of travel and complex diplomatic negotiations. In the worst case, the image involves fancy cocktail parties and mingling with the glitterati.

There is a tendency to forget that when Foreign Ministry employees are sent abroad, their mission also involves serious risks. Israeli diplomats are always on the front lines, without being soldiers.

Not many people know this, but on Israel’s Remembrance Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism, there is a memorial service at the Foreign Ministry as well. The late Efraim Elrom was kidnapped and murdered while serving as Israel’s consul-general in Istanbul in 1971. Shlomo Argov was seriously wounded and left paralyzed from the neck down in an assassination attempt as Israel’s ambassador to London in 1982. Such is the case with 14 other Foreign Ministry employees, envoys and their families. You can read about them on the Foreign Ministry’s website.

One of my first meetings after accepting the job as Israeli ambassador to France was with the French head of my personal security unit. He started the conversation by saying: Mr. Ambassador, on the list of the most threatened people in France, you are in the top five. The meeting, incidentally, took place in the hall named for Yaacov Bar-Siman-Tov, an Israeli diplomat who was assassinated in Paris in the early 1980s. For the next four years, I lived surrounded by bodyguards, an unpleasant experience in itself. Although I never felt in danger, I knew there were concrete threats to my life.

The cloud of threats and life under tight security are an integral part of life for Israel’s representatives and their families abroad. We have our daily work routine, children’s school routines and day-to-day family life. On top of all this, there are the details of security that are so pervasive they become enmeshed in daily life.

Sometimes, diplomats develop strange habits. For example, when driving their children to school, there are some who make excuses to leave the house a few minutes early so their children are not around when they start their cars.

Being an emissary abroad on behalf of Israel is not just a job; it is a total mobilization for the diplomat and his family. With each mission abroad and each return to Israel, daily routines change beyond recognition. Each time, the diplomat and his family have to get used to a new language, foreign country, new lifestyles and a different culture. Children often experience severe crises and spouses are forced to put their own careers aside. In addition to all of this, there is the ever-looming cloud of tangible physical threats.

As extensions of Israel in the world, diplomats represent Israel in its entirety, from political battles, to public relations, economics, security and cultural struggles. It is fitting here to add a positive word about the security crews surrounding Israeli diplomatic missions. Security teams that I met throughout my years at the Foreign Ministry are excellent, supremely dedicated professionals. They bear a huge workload and massive responsibility, allowing embassy staff to perform their jobs safely and allowing their families to lead relatively normal lives. Their relentless mission is to bring everyone home safely.

Along with all this, I have always viewed representing the state of Israel among the nations as a great privilege and fascinating professional challenge. It is exciting and rewarding to fight Israel’s diplomatic battles and feel a true sense of purpose. This spirit beats in the hearts of most of my colleagues in the foreign service. In these days, let us express appreciation for their loyal service, often in life-threatening circumstances.

Daniel Shek is a former Israeli ambassador to France.