Eli Vered Hazan, Israel’s ambassador to Singapore, has been approved to serve as the next world chair of Keren Hayesod, the foreign fundraising arm of Israel’s “National Institutions,” the organization announced on Monday.

Last month, Hazan received the backing of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had previously supported Ofir Akunis, Israel’s consul general in New York, for the role.

Though now serving in a civil servant role, Hazan has deep ties to Netanyahu and the Likud Party, serving as a spokesperson for the party and as Netanyahu’s policy adviser when Netanyahu served as opposition leader in 2021. Hazan also previously served as vice president for public diplomacy at the Jerusalem Institute of Justice.

In a statement, Bruce Leboff, chair of Keren Hayesod’s board of trustees, hailed Hazan for bringing to the role “exceptional diplomatic experience, a profound commitment to the Jewish People and the State of Israel, and a strong record of leadership and professional excellence.”

As the head of Keren Hayesod, Hazan will oversee the international fundraising efforts for projects in Israel through the other “National Institutions”: World Zionist Organization, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund and the Jewish Agency for Israel. These efforts take place primarily outside of Israel and North America, where the federation system primarily provides the funding for the National Institutions. 

In 2024, Keren Hayesod reported raising $207.7 million, allocating $186.1 million of it, primarily for projects aimed at “strengthening Israeli society.”

Hazan succeeds Sam Grundwerg, an American-born Israeli diplomat who has served in the role since 2018. 

“It has been a privilege to lead this organization over the past eight years, and I am proud of what we have achieved-especially in strengthening ties with Jewish communities and Christian friends of Israel, while significantly increasing our fundraising results,” Grundwerg said in a statement.