Zvi Mazel
Zvi Mazel (born 4 March 1939) is an Israeli diplomat. He was the Israeli ambassador to Sweden from 2002 to 2004, after serving as ambassador in Egypt from 1996 to 2001 and Romania. He is now a fellow of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.[1]
After initial studies in Israel he attended Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris. There he met his wife Michelle, a political scientist and writer. He graduated in 1963, later become a career diplomat making his first service in Antanarivo, Madagascar. Among the other places, he served from 1980 in Cairo, Egypt during the thaw period that ended with the 1982 Lebanon War, returning in 1996 as an ambassador. He have also held the post as director of Eastern European division and head of the Egyptian and North African department at the Foreign Ministry back in Israel.[1][2][3]
While ambassador to Sweden, he was a strong opponent of Swedish Archbishop's call to boycott Israeli products.[4] In Sweden he came out against the artwork Snow White and The Madness of Truth by Isareli-Swedish artist Dror Feiler in January 2004, which glorified a suicide bomber. The piece consisted of a boat floating in a rectangular basin filled with red water, signifying blood. The boat contained a card with a portrait of Palestinian suicide bomber Hanadi Jaradat on one side, and the word "Snövit" ("Snow White" in Swedish) written on the other. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon later thanked Mazel and announced his support for Mazel's actions.[5] Mazel also highlighted Swedish Anti-Semitism: "There are daily agitations in Swedish media to kill Jews." [6] In a TV interview on 22 February 2004, Mazel called former foreign minister Sten Andersson and Sweden's UN ambassador Pierre Schori "professional anti-Israelis."[7]
Mazel retired when he turned 65 on 4 March 2004.
References
- ^ a b "Grapevine: It’s in the genes" Jerusalem Post
- ^ "Porträttet: Zvi Mazel har sett värre saker" Dagens Nyheter
- ^ About ... Zvi Mazel Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
- ^ [http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=147&a=224252 Porträttet: Zvi Mazel har sett värre saker
- ^ CNN.com - Sharon backs envoy's art attack - Jan. 19, 2004
- ^ SvD » Inrikes » Israelisk attack mot konstverk
- ^ "Mazel till attack mot Andersson och Schori" Aftonbladet
External links
- How Egypt Molded Modern Radical Islam, Zvi Mazel