New York—Yeshiva University (www.yu.edu) recently announced that Israeli diplomat and politician Danny Ayalon has been appointed the Rennert Visiting Professor of Foreign Policy Studies at Yeshiva University for the spring 2014 semester. Ambassador Ayalon will teach on both the Wilf Campus at Yeshiva College and the Israel Henry Beren Campus at Stern College for Women, and will participate in public lectures and events.

Ayalon served in Israel’s Foreign Service for over 20 years, most recently as deputy foreign minister from 2008 until 2012. During his diplomatic career, Ayalon was a political advisor to three different prime ministers: Ehud Barak, Benjamin Netanyahu and Ariel Sharon. In 2002, he was appointed by then Prime Minister Sharon and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres as Israel’s ambassador to the United States, a time during which Israel-U.S. relations significantly improved.

Upon his retirement from diplomatic service in 2006, Ayalon joined Nefesh B’Nefesh, an organization committed to revitalizing aliyah [immigration to Israel], and the Or Movement for settlement in the Negev and the Galilee. In February 2009, Ayalon was sworn in as a member of Knesset representing the Yisrael Beiteinu party.

Ayalon recently founded The Truth About Israel, a nonprofit organization to combat attempts to delegitimize Israel and strengthen its political status and image. He also serves as chairman of the advisory board of Gisa Singer Even, a leading Israeli investment banking firm.

Ayalon received his undergraduate degree in economics from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from Bowling Green State University. In 2005, he received the Brandeis Award from the Baltimore Jewish community and in 2008 he received the Builder of Jerusalem Award from Aish HaTorah.