Eitan Naeh, former Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan, has passed away at the age of 62. He served in Azerbaijan from 2001 to 2005.
Modern.az reports that he was a diplomat who represented Israel in several countries, including Turkey and Azerbaijan, for many years, and was well-acquainted with the region.
Born in Israel on September 17, 1963, the former ambassador was proficient in Arabic and Turkish, in addition to English. He served in the Israel Defense Forces from 1982 to 1985. In 1991, he graduated from Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Political Science with a specialization in Middle Eastern studies. After completing the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs' diplomatic course in 1991-1993, he served as Assistant to the Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1993 to 1997, he was Second Secretary and then First Secretary at the Embassy of the State of Israel in Turkey. From 1997 to 1999, he was Consul in Chicago, USA. From 1999 to 2000, he served as Advisor in the Western Europe Department (Europe II) and Head of the Turkey-Greece Section. Eitan Naeh, who had previously served as ambassador in Azerbaijan for 5 years, was appointed Israel's Ambassador to Turkey in 2016.
On December 5, 2016, he presented his credentials to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex in Ankara. In May 2018, in response to the killing of 60 Palestinians by Israeli forces, Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expelled Naeh from the country. The Turkish government allowed journalists to film the security check conducted on him as he departed the country. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested this inspection.
In January 2021, Israel opened an embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Naeh served as the head of this diplomatic mission until October 11, 2021. However, his tenure there was not long. Eitan Naeh was appointed Israel's Ambassador to Bahrain on September 2, 2021. On December 28, 2021, he presented his credentials to King Hamad of Bahrain, officially commencing his duties as Israel's first ambassador to that country. On November 2, 2023, Bahrain announced his departure from the country and simultaneously recalled its ambassador to Israel.
