Yehuda Yaakov, at The Blogs

Aug 14, 2024, 10:45 PM

LGBTQ IDF fighters during recent Boston visit

How regimes treat LGBTQ speaks volumes about what they are about. In Israel's neighborhood, this definitely applies to Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas. For those who've forgotten: Iran’s death penalty for same-sex relations is not only codified in law, it's carried...

Jul 16, 2024, 1:26 PM

Featured Post

On Israel, we need to speak the language of social impact

The author briefing Israel Foreign Ministry cadets

Younger adults abroad care about justice – they should find out about Israel's massive investment in closing racial and ethnic gaps

Jun 25, 2024, 2:56 PM

Rebounding Labor Market, Post-October 7th

How can Israel bounce back socioeconomically from the myriad ramifications of October 7th? That question topped recent deliberations by about 200 representatives of the country's government, civil society and private sector elite at the Israel Democracy Institute's annual Jerusalem...

Jun 5, 2024, 2:35 PM

Looking in Israel’s social equality mirror

How many countries can honestly say they regularly critique themselves and seriously act to improve their own social equality performance? Israel definitely can, which is why we've continually scaled up in this context throughout our 76 years of independence. Progress...

May 8, 2024, 12:21 PM

Celebrating Independence Day with Higher Education

Israel's Declaration of Independence has something for everyone. With my own focus on social impact, I'm intrigued by its call on the country's minority populations to "participate in the upbuilding of the State." Have they? Better yet: Have they...

Apr 14, 2024, 6:10 PM

Israel Can Handle Iran – & Also Help Repair the World

What a sight to see: with threats from the Islamic Republic in the air, about 400 Israelis recently converged on the annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Conference of the non-profit "Maala," listening attentively to Hebrew discussions focusing on a...

Mar 27, 2024, 10:29 AM

Pursuing climate action, war and all

Author with Jaljulia school staff & students

I count myself among the growing number of Israelis who believe our country needs to pivot to an “Impact Nation” mindset. According to this approach, our endless fountain of innovation needs to be increasingly focused on making a positive...

Mar 11, 2024, 4:19 PM

Muslims making Israel better

When I created the Israel Foreign Ministry's Social Impact Policy Unit five years ago, nothing prepared me for what was to become my work's most surprising revelation: the central role that officials from our Muslim community play in promoting...

About Me

A 35-year Israeli diplomacy veteran, Ambassador Yehuda Yaakov has directed the Foreign Ministry's Social Impact Policy unit since launching it in 2019; previously, he served as Consul General in Boston after receiving the Director General's Award as part of the "Iran Team." Yaakov has also served as board member of an NGO promoting Israeli-Ethiopian excellence. Raised in a NYC housing project, he began his career reporting about social justice issues. Active on LinkedIn and "X" (@YehudaYa).