Dr. Lior Ben Dor arrived in Bucharest in August 2024 as Israel's ambassador to Romania, succeeding Reuven Azar.
He joined the Foreign Ministry's cadet course in 1994, and has since served in Cairo, Montevideo, London, Buenos Aires and Brasília.
According to his CV on the embassy's website, he speaks Hebrew, Arabic, English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Romanian.
According to the embassy's website, Romania recognised Israel on 11 June 1948, and between 1967 and 1989 it was the only Soviet-bloc country that kept continuous relations.
Dr. Lior Ben Dor: the short answer
Dr. Lior Ben Dor is Israel's ambassador to Romania. He arrived in Bucharest in August 2024, succeeding Ambassador Reuven Azar. He has been a diplomat at Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1994, with postings in Cairo, Montevideo, London, Buenos Aires and Brasília.
He also has a personal link to this post. His parents were born in Romania, his mother in Buhuși and his father in Bacău, and they left to help build the State of Israel. He was not born in Romania himself, but he grew up with the Romanian language and culture, and Romanian is one of the seven languages he speaks.
In plain words: if you are an Israeli living in Romania, the embassy in Bucharest is your official address here, from passports to registering a baby born in Romania. It is worth knowing it, and the person who heads it, before you need it.
The background: Arabic, the Middle East and Latin America
According to the CV published by the Embassy of Israel in Romania, Ben Dor served in the Israeli army's Intelligence Corps from 1986 to 1990. He then studied Arabic and Islamic studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, earning a BA in 1995 and an MA in 2006. In 2020 he received a PhD from the Department of Middle Eastern Studies at Bar-Ilan University, on the Arab community in Brazil and Latin America.
Before joining the Foreign Ministry, in 1993–1994, he worked as an Arabic monitor for the Arabic news service of the Israel Broadcasting Authority and for the Channel 2 news company. He joined the ministry through its cadet course in 1994. Since then he has served at Israel's embassies in Egypt, Uruguay, the United Kingdom, Argentina and Brazil. In Israel he was senior deputy spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry and its Arabic-language spokesperson. From 2016 to 2023 he headed the Egypt and Maghreb department, and in 2023–2024 he was chief coordinator for public diplomacy and spokesmanship to the Arab world.
Alongside his diplomatic work, he has also taught, at the Hebrew University and at Bar-Ilan University.
2024: back to the family's roots
His appointment as ambassador to Romania was announced as early as September 2023, still subject to government approval. He actually arrived in Bucharest in August 2024 and said then: "I am very proud to represent Israel in the country where my parents and grandparents were born" ("Sunt foarte mândru să reprezint Israelul în ţara în care s-au născut părinţii şi bunicii mei"). The embassy presented the appointment as a homecoming to his family's roots.
In May 2026, at the Israel National Day event in Bucharest, he came back to the subject. "I grew up from an early age with the Romanian language and culture, which I have always carried in my heart" ("Am crescut de mic cu limba şi cultura română, pe care le-am purtat mereu în inima mea"), he said, adding: "Romania has become a part of me" ("România a devenit o parte din mine").
Many Israelis with Romanian roots will recognise these words. If your grandparents were also born here, we have set out what you need to know about Romanian citizenship for Israelis.
Israel and Romania: the background
According to the embassy's website, Romania recognised the State of Israel as soon as it was founded, on 11 June 1948. Between 1967 and 1989, Romania was the only country in the Soviet bloc that kept continuous relations with Israel.
Romania has become a part of me. (Dr. Lior Ben Dor, Digi24, 2026)
The ties are active today too. According to the website, Israel's President Isaac Herzog visited Romania on 28–29 June 2026, and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar visited in October 2025. We cover the wider picture in our article on relations between Romania and Israel.
What the ambassador does outside Bucharest
A large part of an ambassador's work is meeting institutions, universities and local government. A few examples from public reports:
- Medicine and students. On 11 November 2024 he met the leadership of Carol Davila University of Medicine in Bucharest. According to the university, they discussed the situation of international students, the digitalisation of medical services and research cooperation.
- Cluj. On 20 November 2025 he visited Cluj County Council. According to the council, he was shown the county's industrial parks and the planned children's hospital, and he expressed interest in helping Israeli companies that want to operate there.
- Teleorman. On 20 October 2026 he was hosted by Teleorman County Council, together with a delegation from the Romania-Israel Chamber of Commerce and Industry, for a meeting on economic cooperation.
What the embassy does for you
For an Israeli family living in Romania, the embassy is above all a consular service. The list of services on the embassy's website includes, among others:
- Issuing and renewing Israeli passports, including for minors and after loss or theft.
- Registering the birth of a child abroad.
- Proof-of-life certificates for Israel's National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi) or the Ministry of Defence.
- Certifying the Israeli driving licence of a citizen living abroad.
- Requests to defer reporting for military service for those living abroad.
- Notice of a change of address, marital status or name, and extracts from the Population Registry.
Some of these services touch on topics we cover separately: Israeli national insurance while living in Romania and using an Israeli driving licence in Romania.
What an Israeli family can take from this
Save the details in advance. The embassy's address is Bulevardul Dimitrie Cantemir 1, Bucharest, and the phone number is +40 21 302 8500. Save them in your phone on your first day.
Check your passports before the move. Renewing an Israeli passport abroad is an embassy service, and it takes time. It is better to arrive with passports that are valid for a long time for every member of the family.
Keep the Population Registry up to date. For Israelis, a change of address, the birth of a child and a change of marital status are reported through the embassy. Doing it on time saves trouble with the authorities in Israel.
Do not confuse the embassy with your status. The embassy handles Israeli documents. A visa and residence in Romania are matters for the Romanian authorities. We cover that in our chapter on visas, residence and legal status.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Embassy of Israel in Romania?
In Bucharest, at Bulevardul Dimitrie Cantemir 1 (Building B2, Entrance 2, 4th floor). The phone number is +40 21 302 8500. The embassy publishes the full list of services and directions on its website.
Does the ambassador speak Romanian?
Yes. The languages listed in his CV on the embassy's website are Hebrew, Arabic, English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Romanian.
Who was the ambassador before him?
Reuven Azar, who served from 2022 to 2024.
My baby was born in Romania. What do I do on the Israeli side?
The embassy's list of services includes registering "the birth of a child abroad". Check the details and the documents you need directly with the embassy before you go.
The bottom line
Dr. Lior Ben Dor is a veteran diplomat who came to Bucharest with family roots and fluent Romanian. For you, what matters most is what stands behind him: an embassy that handles passports, registration and documents for Israelis who live here.
If you are at the planning stage and want to go through the first steps of a move to Bucharest, book a 30-minute call with me. We will look together at what is worth arranging while you are still in Israel and what can wait until you are here. The wider picture is in our complete guide to relocating to Romania.
Moti Azulay, Compass Group Romania
Sources: Embassy of Israel in Romania, the ambassador's CV · Embassy of Israel in Romania, bilateral relations · Embassy of Israel in Romania, consular services · Embassy of Israel in Romania, home page and contact details · Știrile ProTV, the new ambassador arrives, 20.8.2024 (Romanian) · Ziare.com, the ambassador arrives in Bucharest, 2024 (Romanian) · G4Media, the new ambassador, 20.8.2024 (Romanian) · Digi24, "Romania has become a part of me", 27.5.2026 (Romanian) · Banat News, 28.5.2026 (Romanian) · UMF Carol Davila, the ambassador's visit, 13.11.2024 (Romanian) · Cluj-AM, visit to Cluj County Council, 21.11.2025 (Romanian) · Mesagerul de Teleorman, visit to the county council, 21.10.2026 (Romanian) · Wikipedia, list of ambassadors of Israel to Romania · PassportNews, new ambassadors appointed, 28.9.2023 (Hebrew)
Based on public reports and published interviews, correct as of 22 October 2026. Dr. Lior Ben Dor was not interviewed for this article. Ambassadors change, and consular services and procedures change too, so check them on the embassy's website before you contact it.
The complete guide: relocating to Romania
- Relocating to Romania: the complete guide
- Visas, residence and legal status in Romania
- The Jewish community in Romania
- International education in Romania
- Prominent Israelis in Romania
Prominent Israelis in Romania: all the stories
- Chef Joseph Hadad
- Tova Ben-Nun Cherbis, Laude-Reut
- Rabbi Naftali Deutsch, Chabad Romania
- Eli Davidai, Pepsi Romania
- Ambassador Dr. Lior Ben Dor (you are here)
- Ofri Arad, FCSB
- Nancy Brandes
Now you know more.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult local professionals before any transaction.
