Sections & Offices

  1. Sections & Offices
  2. Mission

The Public Diplomacy Section works to increase bilateral understanding of the United States among the Israeli public. A growing public awareness of the extensive cultural, business, and social ties between Israel and the U.S. is a key goal of the Embassy. In Israel, the Public Diplomacy Section has three main components.

The Press Section is the point of contact for Israeli and resident foreign media on matters of U.S. government policy worldwide, but especially regarding Israel. The Press Section plays a major role in official visits by U.S. government officials to Israel. This includes making available official transcripts of public addresses, Embassy Press Releases, briefings, and press conferences taking place during these visits. For information about U.S. policy, or to search for archived materials, please visit the State Department’s site.

Through its ‘people-to-people’ programs, the Cultural Affairs Office supports a rich variety of cultural, educational, and professional exchange programs. The Cultural Affairs Office administers several grants programs through local NGO partners to promote and advance democratic values, respect for diversity, economic opportunity, economic and social empowerment, conflict mitigation, social cohesion, and other shared values and objectives. The Cultural Affairs Office also sponsors many and diverse programs, conferences, roundtables, and outreach that address U.S. policy, U.S.-Israeli relations, regional affairs, terrorism, security issues, environment, and American history, government, economics, culture and society.

The U.S. Embassy’s ACJerusalem (ACJLM) is one of two Jerusalem-based outreach centers. The ACJerusalem is a welcoming space, engaging and connecting diverse local audiences by strengthening relationships around mutual values of diversity, inclusion, tolerance, democracy, and civic empowerment. We host dozens of educational programs a year serving Israelis from diverse backgrounds. All programs are free of charge and many are hosted in three languages: Hebrew, English, and Arabic.

Through its multi-faceted programs, the ACJerusalem aims to promote peaceful dialogue, deepen economic ties, and foster understanding of U.S. policy, culture, and common challenges. The ACJerusalem partners with local organizations and individuals in the areas of women’s empowerment, entrepreneurship and innovation, career advancement, STEM topics, English language, civil society, and studying in the United States.

The ACJerusalem is located at 19 Keren HaYesod St. It is open to the public Sundays through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. We are closed on American and Israeli holidays. To learn more about ACJerusalem activities, please check out our FaceBook page and message us there, or email us at AmericanCenterJerusalem@state.gov

American Citizen Services (ACS)at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and the Branch Office in Tel Aviv is open Monday through Friday by appointment only. Please follow the link to the service you are requesting in order to make an appointment. We cannot schedule appointments over the phone. Please note we are closed to the public on U.S. and Israeli public holidays. ACS at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem is closed on the last Thursday of every month. ACS at the Branch Office in Tel Aviv is closed on the first Wednesday of every month.

More: U.S. Citizen Services

The Embassy’s Economic Section is responsible for monitoring and maintaining the full range of economic relations between the United States and Israel. It provides U.S government agencies in Washington DC and other U.S. Embassies abroad accurate and timely information regarding current economic and financial developments in Israel and seeks to explain U.S. economic policy to Israeli audiences. The Economic section supports visiting U.S. delegations and maintains regular contact with a variety of Israeli government institutions, think tanks, civil society organizations and business groups. Headed by the Economic Counselor, the section covers such diverse issues as trade policy, intellectual property right protection, traditional and emerging energy sources, economic development of minority groups within Israel, Israel’s macroeconomic and financial sector developments, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism finance efforts, and economic aspects of the peace process.

A central strategic goal of the U.S. mission in Israel is to encourage an enhanced bilateral economic relationship that is mutually beneficial and better able to meet global challenges. Advocating for regulatory efficiency and transparency, a competitive trade policy, recognition of U.S. product and service standards, an updated Free Trade agreement, and promoting joint research and development are all part of the Economic section’s active pursuits in Israel.

The Economic Section works closely with the U.S. Commercial Service, the Foreign Agricultural Service, Treasury Department, USAID, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and other U.S. agencies in these pursuits.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is represented in more than 200 countries through its Foreign Agricultural Service agency (FAS). The agency’s mission is to develop, maintain and expand access for U.S. products in world markets.

FAS Tel Aviv works to expand the market in Israel for U.S. processed food products, beverages, wine and other fresh agricultural products. We work closely with U.S. agricultural cooperator organizations and provide an important link between U.S. exporters seeking information on the local market and Israeli importers looking for suppliers of high quality foods from the United States.

FAS Tel Aviv plays a key role in managing the agricultural trade policy component of the U.S.-Israel bilateral relationship, making sure that market access issues for producers and exporters of U.S. foods are pursued.

For more information on USDA go to: FAS homepage.

Contact Information:

Email: Agtelaviv@fas.usda.gov
Tel: +972-3-519-8620

The U.S. Commercial Service, located at the Embassy, can help your company export to Israel, the largest U.S. export market in the Middle East! Israel’s dynamic and diverse market offers U.S. exporters opportunities in a wide variety of sectors. Its high-tech, pro-American business community is familiar with U.S. business norms, and a multitude of U.S. firms are already doing business in and with Israel. Get in on the excitement through the Commercial Service! If you are interested in exporting to the West Bank, click here.

Visit the U.S. Commercial Service Israel website.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) opened its office at Embassy Jerusalem in October 2020. The mission of the U.S. DOE is to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. DOE’s Jerusalem Office works closely with the government of Israel on all sectors of energy and has several long-term collaborative efforts on cyber, nuclear security and basic science.

The DOE Attaché is the representative of the Department of Energy, advises the Ambassador on energy issues, and provides reach back to the technical expertise and capabilities within DOE Program Offices and across the Energy Department’s 17 National Laboratories.

One of the flagships of the U.S.-Israel cooperation is under an agreement managed by the Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation. The “BIRD Energy” program and the “Energy Center” are working to develop innovation on a range of clean energy technologies, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, natural gas, and energy-water nexus. To learn more about the programs, please visit BIRD’s website: https://www.birdf.com/

For more information about DOE and to learn about the different projects that DOE is involved in, please visit DOE’s website: http://energy.gov/

Contact the DOE Jerusalem Office: +972(0)26304138

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) improves the lives of the Palestinian people to set conditions for a viable two-state solution. In 2021, USAID provided over $110 million to support development and humanitarian programs in the West Bank and Gaza.

For more information, visit our website: https://www.usaid.gov/west-bank-and-gaza/our-work

Mission

The Office of Defense Cooperation Israel is responsible to the Commander, United States Central Command, the United States Ambassador to Israel, and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency for the execution of security cooperation and assistance programs including Foreign Military Financing, Foreign Military Sales, and Armaments Cooperation.

We do this by actively engaging with the Israeli Defense Forces, ministries and agencies at all levels in order to strengthen the bilateral security relationship between the United States and Israel, and to increase interoperability between Israel and other allies.

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