Matthew Gould (diplomat)

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Matthew Gould was appointed the British ambassador in Israel in December 2009.[1]

Background

Gould joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1993. He served as Assistant Desk Officer (NATO/Bosnia), in the Security Policy Department from 1993 to 1994. He was second secretary in Manila from 1994 to 1997. From 1997 to 1999, he was speech writer to Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. From 1999 to 2001, he was deputy head of the Consular Division. From 2002 to 2003, he was a political counsellor in Islamabad. From 2003 to 2005, he was deputy head of mission in Tehran. From 2005 to 2007, he was a Foreign and Security Policy Counsellor in Washington. From April to July 2007, he was Private Secretary for Foreign Affairs to the Prime Minister. From July 2007 to December 2009, he was Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary.[1]

Ambassador to Israel

Channel 10 Comments

In an interview with Israel's Channel 10 Television, Gould warned that international support for the country was eroding:

"The problem is not hasbara. The center ground, the majority, the British public may not be expert but they are not stupid and they see a stream of announcement about new building in settlements, they read stories about what's going on in the West Bank, they read about restrictions in Gaza. The substance of what's going wrong is really what's driving this," he said.[2]

His comments were criticized by Conservative Friends of Israel which said they were "unrepresentative of reality".[3]

External resources

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to Israel, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 8 December 2009.
  2. World might lose patience with Israel within 10 years, says U.K. Ambassador, Haaretz, 12 August 2012.
  3. Marcus Dysch, Conservative Friends of Israel attack envoy Matthew Gould, Jewish Chronicle, 9 August 2012.