As Deputy Ambassador of the State of Israel to Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Aviel Avraham this week concluded a three-year posting that leaves behind a network of institutional partnerships with Ghanaian universities, relationships the embassy’s incoming leadership is expected to build on as Israel expands its technical cooperation footprint in higher education, innovation and development.
Delivering his farewell address at the Shalom Club’s biennial alumni gathering in Accra, Avraham said his work with Merkaz LeShtuf Peula BeinLeumi (MASHAV), Israel’s international development cooperation agency, extended beyond selecting candidates for training programmes.
The most rewarding aspect of his assignment, he said, was reconnecting with alumni after their return from Israel, allowing him to see “how meaningful every course” had been and “how deep the connection” the experience had created.
He said that the alumni network now spans communities across Ghana, providing a foundation the embassy has sought to leverage to strengthen academic, professional and economic ties between the two countries. Among the outcomes of his tenure was deeper engagement with university leadership, including meetings in Israel with a delegation of vice-chancellors from Ghana and Nigeria aimed at strengthening collaboration between higher education and research institutions.
Reflecting on his service across Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Avraham described the assignment as “a great privilege and honour,” highlighting the regional scope of the diplomatic responsibilities his successor will inherit. He said Ghana stood out for “the warmth, generosity, and friendship of the Ghanaian people” and commended the country’s institutions for maintaining an atmosphere of “respect” and “fairness” during a period he acknowledged had been challenging for Israel internationally.
That environment, he said, enabled the embassy to maintain “open and constructive dialogue” throughout a difficult period for Israeli diplomacy, helping sustain bilateral cooperation in development, education and other areas of mutual interest. He expressed “deep appreciation” for the cooperation achieved during his tenure and voiced “sincere hope” that relations between Ghana and Israel would continue to deepen in the years ahead.
Avraham also highlighted the embassy’s continued commitment to Mashav activities and alumni engagement, including the newly announced micro-grant financing window for alumni-led development projects scheduled to be launched later this year.
His departure comes as Israel’s embassy shifts Mashav’s focus in Ghana beyond training and capacity building towards direct support for alumni-led development initiatives, placing greater emphasis on project financing alongside long-standing technical cooperation.
