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Ronen Levi, Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. © Studio Pachamama/X@RonenLeviMaoz/Leonardo Munoz/AFP/Anadolu Agency/Egyptian Presidency/DPA Picture Alliance/Alamy/Filadendron/PeopleImages/Mtcurado/Istock/Rawpixel Ltd

In Focus | Africa
Israel's 'Shin Bet' diplomacy in West Africa

Published on 09.10.2023 at 04:40 GMT Reading time 8 minutes

Drawing on his experience at the Israeli domestic intelligence agency, the new DG of the Foreign Ministry, Ronen Levi, has left his mark on the country's African diplomacy in under a year. His strategy focuses on countries in the Sahel, where he sees opportunity in the region's recent regime changes.

Israel's diplomatic apparatus is in the midst of a transformation. The Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ronen Levi aka "Maoz", is turning the institution into a more strategic tool, integrated into the Israeli security ecosystem from which he originates.

A veteran of Israel's domestic intelligence service Shin Bet, Maoz played an

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