Shifra Weiss-Kubany is an Israeli diplomat whose career has taken her from Biblical archaeology and Egyptology to senior diplomatic and public-diplomacy roles in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
She studied Biblical Archaeology and Egyptology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, earning a bachelor’s degree in 2015 and a master’s degree in 2017, with grades of 93 and 97 respectively. Her graduate dissertation examined the Judean Shephelah following the Assyrian destruction, focusing on Tel Lachish. She also participated in the Khirbet Qeiyafa Archaeological Project and the 2010 Socoh Survey.
She later joined Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served in Turkey. In 2021, she was identified as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Israeli Embassy in Ankara, working alongside Ambassador Irit Lillian. Her activities there included Israeli-Turkish cooperation in areas such as energy, sustainability, technology, and economic relations.
Her most significant assignment came in the UAE following the Abraham Accords. According to her professional profile, she served as the first spokesperson of Israel’s mission in the UAE from 2022 to 2025.
During her time in Abu Dhabi, her activities extended beyond traditional media relations and included public diplomacy, economic and cultural engagement, healthcare, technology, interfaith dialogue, and promoting the developing Israel-UAE relationship.
Her public record includes involvement in the broader diplomatic network surrounding cooperation between Abu Dhabi-based PureHealth and Israel’s Sheba Medical Center, focusing on medical innovation, research, and education.
Her social-media activity also reflects the public-diplomacy role she played in the UAE, with posts concerning Israel-UAE relations, coexistence, regional cooperation, the Abraham Accords, and Israel’s positions following the October 7, 2023 attacks.
Family Background
Public statements by Weiss-Kubany also provide some information about her family background. She has said that her mother was born in Canada after her maternal grandparents fled post-Holocaust Soviet Hungary. Her mother was raised in Montreal and later moved to Israel with her husband and their four children. Weiss-Kubany has also described her maternal grandmother as a 93-year-old Holocaust survivor who continued to regard Montreal as her home.
On her father’s side, she has referred to her uncle Meir Weiss, her father’s only brother, who was killed during the 1973 Yom Kippur War in the Sinai while serving in the Israeli military. She has also stated that her older sister was named after a girl named Shoshana who died at a young age.
Overall, Weiss-Kubany represents an interesting transition from academic archaeology to Israeli diplomacy. Her UAE assignment placed her at the intersection of media, politics, business, healthcare, culture, and public diplomacy during the formative years of Israel’s diplomatic presence in Abu Dhabi.
Social Media
https://x.com/WeissShifra
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shifra-weiss-kubany-ab2100b0/
https://www.instagram.com/shifraweisskubany/
Emails
shifra@gov.il
shifra.weiss@mail.huji.ac.il
Of Course that’s not all we know!
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