Ambassador Shai Cohen took up his duties as Permanent Representative of Israel to the OECD on 16 September 2024.

Prior to his appointment as Ambassador for Multilateral Affairs in Paris and taking on the additional role of Head of Delegation of the State of Israel to the OECD and the Council of Europe, Ambassador Cohen has built a distinguished career in diplomacy, characterised by several roles within the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

From 2023 to 2024, Ambassador Cohen served as the Head of the Israeli Diplomatic Mission in Rabat, Morocco, following his role as Special Envoy for Defence and Security Exports & Cooperation at the MFA between 2021 and 2023, and as a Senior Diplomatic Advisor to the Knesset from 2017 to 2021.

From 2014 to 2017, Ambassador Cohen was the Consul General of Israel in Istanbul, a role that followed his position as Director of Regional Security and Counter Terrorism at the MFA from 2009 to 2014. Between 2006 and 2009, he served as Deputy Director of Defence Exports Control at the MFA. He has also served as Political Counsellor and Head of the Public Diplomacy Bureau at the Embassy of Israel in Rome from 2002 to 2006.

Ambassador Cohen’s career also includes leadership positions within various desks at the MFA. He was Head of the South-Europe Desk in the West-Europe Division from 2001 to 2002 and Head of the West-Europe and North America Desk in the Economic Division from 1998 to 2001. Additionally, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul at the Embassy of Israel in Montevideo from 1994 to 1998 and as Head of the East-Europe Desk at the Economic Division from 1993 to 1994.

Ambassador Cohen’s academic background includes a Master’s degree in European Studies (2008-2013) and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations (1988-1991), both from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Ambassador Cohen is fluent in Hebrew, English, French, Italian, Spanish, and Turkish.