Joel Lion, an ultra-Orthodox rabbi and close associate of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, presented his credentials in Ankara on Sept. 9 and left the same day after attending a US Independence Day reception.
Israel's newly appointed chargé d'affaires to Turkey, Lion, was the architect of the Israeli government's unanimous vote in June to recognize the 1915 events as genocide, sources familiar with the issue told Turkey in Depth. He is not expected to be based in Ankara in the short term.
'It is never too late to take the right step. I express my deepest gratitude not only to the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, for the support he has shown, but also to the ministers of the government for unanimously approving the resolution I initiated regarding the recognition of the Armenian Genocide,' Lion wrote on X soon after the unanimous June decision, translating an X post from Sa'ar into Armenian.
As the non-resident ambassador to Armenia, he shared: 'The Government's unanimous approval to recognize the Armenian Genocide is a milestone for truth and justice.'
His appointment to Ankara came soon after the retirement of Ambassador Irit Lillian on Aug. 15. It was necessary to have an appointment since a signature from a diplomat is required over the embassy's financial and technical matters, including banking transactions in Turkey, sources explained.
A Turkish diplomatic source who spoke to Turkey in Depth said the appointment was procedural rather than substantive, noting that diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel remain at ambassador level and that Lion's appointment as chargé d'affaires did not require a credentials approval process. The source also noted that Turkey has its own diplomats serving in Israel.
Still, Ankara had a chance to object to the appointment of an ambassador as chargé d’affairs and might request an ordinary diplomat instead, but did not.
An Israeli source familiar with the matter said: 'Under the current circumstances, the Turkish government would never have approved a full-fledged ambassador. A chargé d'affaires is not a problem, as Turkey has had a chargé d'affaires in Tel Aviv ever since former Ambassador Şakir Torunlar ended his duties in 2025.'
The source also pointed to Israel's upcoming election, saying no Israeli politician would risk nominating a new ambassador to Turkey at this time.
The Turkish diplomat strongly rejected the suggestion that Lion will not stay in Ankara because of the security concerns, stressing that Turkey provides the best possible security to all diplomatic missions on its soil. That contrasts with an account given separately to Middle East Eye, in which an unnamed Israeli official described the closure of Israel's embassy in Ankara as 'purely a security matter' and said both sides agreed the mission should remain shut.
Until Israel's October election, Lion will remain in Israel. What happens afterward depends on the composition of the Israeli government that emerges from the vote — but naming a new ambassador to Turkey is not expected to be among an incoming government's first priorities.
Lion, 62, is an ordained rabbi and a father of eight. A career diplomat who joined Israel's Foreign Ministry in 1993, Lion has served as ambassador to Ukraine, first resident ambassador to Moldova, and non-resident ambassador to Armenia, a post he held until August 2026.
Relations between Turkey and Israel have deteriorated since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.
