Joel Lion


Joel Lion is an Israeli diplomat, currently serving as Non-Resident Ambassador of the State of Israel to the Republic of Armenia with residence in Jerusalem. A senior member of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1993, he has served as Ambassador to Ukraine, First resident Ambassador of Israel to the Republic of Moldova,. He was also Consul-General of Israel in Montreal and Permanent Representative of Israel to the International Civil Aviation Organization.
In Jerusalem, he held roles as Chief of Diplomatic Staff of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Hotovely, Special Envoy for Holocaust Restitution and Director of Public and Academic Affairs.
Lion is known for his work in Holocaust-era property restitution, cultural diplomacy—such as the touring exhibition Open a Door to Israel—and for coordinating Israeli humanitarian assistance in Eastern Europe during conflicts.

Early life and education

Lion was born in France to Alain Lion and Helene Becher and raised in Esch-sur-Alzette in Luxembourg. He attended a Yeshiva high school in Switzerland before immigrating to Israel in 1982 through the Bnei Akiva “Hachshara” program, later on he served in the Israel Defense Forces and attained the rank of Staff-Sergeant in the Artillery Corps. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a Master’s in History from the University of Latvia, and a PhD in Jewish Heritage from Ariel University, the subject of his dissertation was: "The Israeli Foreign Service and the Jewish Immigration from the French Protectorates in North Africa ". He received rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Daniel Chanan of Yeshivat Pirchei Shoshanim and from the Chief Rabbi of the city of Holon, Rabbi Eliyahu Yohanan Gur-Arieh.
In addition, he completed the International Training Course in Security Policy of the Federal Military Department of Switzerland, at GCSP in Geneva.

Lion is fluent in Hebrew, English, French, German, Luxembourgish, Yiddish and has a good knowledge of Russian.

Personal life

Lion is married to Rivka Ende, a father of eight and grandfather of seven.
In his free time, he volunteers as an EMT with United Hatzalah.

Diplomatic career

Lion joined the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993. His early postings included serving as Deputy Chief of Mission for Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania at the Israeli Embassy in Riga, and as Chargé d'Affaires for Slovakia at the Israeli Embassy in Vienna. He also served as Counselor and Head of the Public Affairs Department at Israel’s Embassy in Berlin, and as Deputy Director for the Western European Department at the Ministry's headquarters in Jerusalem, responsible for political relations with Germany.
From August 2009 to August 2011, Lion served as Spokesperson and Consul for Media Affairs at the Consulate General of Israel in New York, maintaining direct contact with national and local media in the tri-state area. He was appointed Consul General of Israel in Montreal from August 2011 to August 2014, with jurisdiction over Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, and concurrently served as Permanent Representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Back in Jerusalem, Lion was Director of the Public and Academic Affairs Department at the Media and Public Affairs Division of the Ministry; Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues and the Return of Jewish Property, coordinating efforts between the State of Israel and the World Jewish Restitution Organization and as Chief of Diplomatic Staff to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Hotovely. In August 2018, Lion was appointed Ambassador of Israel to Ukraine, serving until 2021.
In April 2022, he was appointed non-resident Ambassador to Armenia and Moldova, and later, following the opening of the Israeli embassy in Chișinău in December 2024, became the first resident ambassador of Israel in Moldova. He completed his term in Moldova in April 2025.

Notable Achievements

Lion directed the creation and global rollout of Open a Door to Israel, a multimedia exhibition showcasing Israeli culture through interactive displays. The exhibition was presented in France, Italy, Russia, India, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and the United States.
As Special Envoy for Holocaust Restitution, Lion promoted the cooperation between the State of Israel and WJRO, and helped facilitate a 2017 joint declaration by Members of the European Parliament supporting increased action on Holocaust-era property claims and restitution.
He also oversaw the opening of Israel’s embassy in Chișinău in 2024 and played a critical role in coordinating Israeli assistance during the Ukrainian refugee crisis in 2022.

Special Missions

In 1999, he became the first Israeli official to partake in the mission of election monitoring with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
At the start of the second Intifada in 2001, Mr. Lion operated as Spokesman with the MFA special team in Bethlehem.
During operation "Cast Lead", he worked as director in charge of the MFA Press Center in Sderot.
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine he headed Israel's Emergency Response Team in Moldova, dealing with the Ukrainian refugee crisis.
During the first months of Iron Swords War, he served as Deputy Spokesperson for the MFA.

Publications