There are diplomats who represent their country—and then there are diplomats who try to change the way the world sees their country.
Today, I have the extraordinary privilege of speaking with one of Israel’s most distinguished diplomats, communicators and advocates: Ambassador Ido Aharoni Aronoff. For 25 years, Ido served in Israel’s Foreign Ministry, spending much of his diplomatic career in the United States. From 2010 to 2016, he served as Israel’s Consul General in New York—the longest-serving Israeli Consul General in the city and the head of Israel’s largest diplomatic mission in the world.
But Ido’s story goes far beyond titles. His family’s connection to Jerusalem reaches back to the 1870s. His great-grandfather, Rabbi Emanuel Aronoff, settled in Jerusalem and helped establish the Bukharan Quarter. His father, Emanuel Aharoni Aronoff, fought with the Haganah during Israel’s War of Independence and was wounded twice.
Ido himself served in the IDF as an infantry company commander during the First Lebanon War. And then came diplomacy. In 1993, he participated in the diplomatic process surrounding the Oslo Accords and was part of Israel’s delegation at the White House for the historic signing ceremony.
But perhaps what Ido is best known for is something very different. In 2002, he initiated Brand Israel—a groundbreaking effort based on a deceptively simple idea: that Israel could not allow itself to be understood only through war, terrorism and political conflict.
Israel, he argued, also needed to tell the world about its creativity, innovation, culture, diversity, compassion and extraordinary contributions to humanity.
That idea would become a central part of Ido’s professional life. In 2007, he became Israel’s first head of brand management, bringing the principles of nation branding into Israel’s public diplomacy.
Today, that question may be more important than ever.
After October 7, Israel has faced extraordinary international scrutiny, fierce criticism and a dramatically intensified battle over how Israel is perceived around the world. At the same time, antisemitism has become an increasingly visible part of public discourse, including on university campuses, social media and in political and cultural institutions.
So I wanted to ask Ido something deeper than simply, “How should Israel improve its public relations?” I wanted to ask: How does a country tell its story when the world seems determined to tell that story for it? How do you communicate Israel’s humanity without ignoring its complexity? And how do you ensure that Israel is not defined solely by its enemies?
Ido is now a Global Distinguished Professor of Business at Touro University, teaches at Tel Aviv University, advises organizations and international companies, and lectures around the world on diplomacy, geopolitical affairs, strategic communications and nation branding. He also hosts Tel Aviv University’s English-language podcast, TAU Unbound.
But today’s conversation is not simply about diplomacy. It is about identity.
It is about Jewish history, Israeli history, family, sacrifice and belonging.
It is about a man who has devoted much of his life to ensuring that Israel’s story is heard—not simply as a story of conflict, but as a story of people, ideas, creativity, resilience and humanity.
There is more to Israel than the headlines. Come closer.
Let me tell you the story. Ladies and gentlemen, Ambassador Ido Aharoni!
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