Message from Emmanuel Navon:

I am stepping down from my position as CEO of ELNET-Israel to establish a new institute with ELNET-France. This Institute will bring together the best minds to build a post-October 7 foreign policy strategy for Israel, to defend the values of Western civilization, and to produce top-quality research for ELNET and for decision-makers in Israel and in Europe.

October 7 has changed Israel and the Jewish people forever. ELNET rose to the challenge by bringing solidarity missions to Israel as early as October 9, 2023. At ELNET-Israel we geared up public diplomacy efforts by organizing solidarity missions to the South, by producing impactful videos, by conveying documented information on social media, and by briefing European ambassadors on a regular basis.

Running ELNET’s Israel office for two years has been a privilege, but my added value lies elsewhere. The time-consuming tasks of daily management impede my academic output. I was approached by ELNET for my scholarship, and it is clear after two years in a management position that this scholarship would be of better use in a research institute that will support ELNET’s work.

I am thankful to ELNET for entrusting me with the undertaking of this ambitious project, and for giving me the opportunity to lead the Israel office for the past two years. The entire team of ELNET-Israel can take pride in our office’s achievements. Allow me to list some.

Among our assignments was to fundraise $300,000 a year for ELNET-Israel. We surpassed this target both in 2023 and in 2024. Interpersonal relations in the office improved and our budget became more transparent. I took part, with my team, in the organization of dozens of delegations and strategic dialogues and addressed them all (except for two delegations this month).

We initiated a quarterly briefing with European ambassadors; we started this monthly newsletter; we improved the structure and the design of ELNET’s website; we increased our social media visibility and influence; we started viral videos to defend Israel in Europe following October 7; We published op-eds and policy papers to defend Israel and to underline Israel’s strategic value for Europe; We built a Board of Trustees composed of large donors, and a Board of Advisors made up of respected academics and public figures; We re-organized ELNET’s “Dropbox” (online shared documents) and made it more user-friendly; and we have transferred ELNET-Israel’s official address from Ramat-Gan to Jerusalem.

None of the above achievements would have been possible without the professionalism and dedication of ELNET-Israel’s exceptional team.

Yossi Abarbanel and Jill Willer do an outstanding job putting together high-quality programs for ELNET’s delegations. Benjamin Touati has skillfully and successfully taken over the daily management of the office as COO. Pascaline Wagemans masterfully organizes top-level strategic dialogues together with Dalmione Shkodra, who has been a wonderful addition to our team. Yasmin Burk manages our finances in the most rigorous and professional manner. Ben Rosemblaum has improved our communication thanks to his creativity and hard work. The office would not function without Anna Kaufman, whose good nature and dedication are essential to our daily operations. Our intern Yaniv Cohen is always there to give a hand when the team is overwhelmed. I thank each and every one of them. Working with this exceptional team has been a privilege.

I also wish to thank our Chairman, Sam Pinto, for improving the work of our office and for bringing needed governance changes to the global organization. I am deeply grateful to Arie Bensemhoun for his commitment to the truth, to justice, to decency, and to the good of the organization; and I thank him for agreeing to establish the new institute within ELNET-France. My heartfelt thanks also go to ELNET-Israel’s Board of Trustees, whose members have brought to the organization not only financial support but also guidance. Thank you as well to the other donors of ELNET-Israel and to FELNET, whose generosity and commitment make ELNET’s work possible.

Conveying the right message to the right people is important, but it is not enough. In the post-October 7 world, we need the best minds to provide decision makers with top-quality research and proposals. This is what the new institute intends to do.

This is a new beginning for me personally and for ELNET, which I undertake with confidence and determination, inspired more than ever by Isaiah’s pledge: “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch” (Isaiah 62:1).

Message from ELNET-Israel’s Board of Trustees:

We, the members of ELNET-Israel’s Board of Trustees, wish to express our deep appreciation to Dr. Emmanuel Navon as he leaves his position as our CEO to pursue new initiatives in public diplomacy. Under his direction, ELNET-Israel expanded its various programs significantly, raising its profile and prestige as a major voice in European-Israeli affairs and facilitator of improved diplomatic relations. Dr. Navon’s tenure is marked by academic excellence and exceptional diplomatic engagement.

 

Together with the rest of the ELNET professional staff, in particular COO Benjamin Touati, Deputy Executive Director Yossi Abravanel, Director of the Forum of Strategic Dialogue Pascaline Wagemans, Delegations Program Manager Jill Wyler, and others (too many to mention all here), he and the team have hosted hundreds of European parliamentarians, dozens of foreign government ministers and military representatives, ambassadors, policymakers, dignitaries and media representatives, engaging in dialogue and on-site fact-finding, thereby strengthening Israel’s relations with the respective countries in a particularly difficult time.

 

ELNET-Israel’s successes in public diplomacy and partnership-building (strategic, economic and other), in co-ordination with ELNET’s international network of offices, have been acknowledged by both senior Israeli and European government representatives. Thank you, Dr. Navon and team, for your high caliber professionalism and tireless dedication. May you go from strength to strength.