Politics

Nitzan Chen, today (Sunday, 26 August 2012), pursuant to a public tender, has entered office as Director of the Government Press Office in the Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Ministry. He succeeds Oran Helman, who served as Director in 2010-2011, and takes up office after an interim period in which Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Ministry Director-General Ronen Plot served as Acting Director.

Nitzan Chen recently served as Chairman of the Satellite and Cable Broadcasting Council<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_and_Satellite_Broadcasting_Council> and has 20 years' experience as a broadcast journalist, including as a parliamentary correspondent, editor and correspondent in the territories.

The Government Press Office, a unit within the Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Ministry, is responsible for dealing, and relations, with foreign journalists in Israel, issues official press cards to media employees in Israel, coordinates media coverage for state events and official visits, and is responsible for managing the national photo collection.

Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Ministry Director-General Plot said, "I would like to welcome incoming GPO Director Nitzan Chen. We view the GPO as an important operational arm, especially regarding links with the foreign press that are so critical to the image of the State of Israel. The past year saw the GPO move to its new quarters and was one in which new positions were filled. The challenges facing the GPO are many and I believe that the incoming Director will deal with them successfully."