Ukraine Officially Returns to Haifa: after 11 years of absence, a consular representation will once again appear here. NAnews – Israel News reports on how the network of Ukrainian diplomatic missions in Israel has evolved from 1991 to the present day.
What we will cover in this article:
- Diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Israel were established on 26 December 1991, and by October 1992 the Embassy of Ukraine in Tel Aviv had already opened.
- In 1998, Aron Maiberg was granted the status of Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Haifa, marking the first step toward developing a consular network in the country; his mandate was extended several times by Ukraine’s MFA.
- From 2008–2014, Haifa hosted a General Consulate headed by Ihor Vitaliyovych Turchyn.
- Since 2013, Jerusalem has been home to an Honorary Consulate led by Ofer Kerzner.
- In 2025, the process began to open a new Honorary Consulate of Ukraine in Haifa, which is to be headed by Alex Zernopolski.
After Tel Aviv and Jerusalem — Ukraine Returns to Haifa
For the first time in over a decade, the north of Israel will once again have a Ukrainian consular representative. On 14 August 2025, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk announced on “The Best Radio of Israel” that lawyer Alex Zernopolski will become the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Haifa.
According to him, the candidate approval process lasted about ten months, and now it remains only to receive final confirmation from Israel’s MFA. The consular office will operate in Haifa — Israel’s third-largest city and the center of the northern region. The decision is driven both by the growing needs of the Ukrainian diaspora and the city’s strategic importance in the country’s economy.
From Diplomatic Relations to the First Consulates
Diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Israel were established on 26 December 1991. By October 1992, the Embassy of Ukraine opened in Tel Aviv. The first ambassador was Yurii Shcherbak, who served from 29 October 1992 to October 1994. Since the early 2000s, Ukraine has gradually expanded its network of diplomatic institutions to serve not only the capital region but also major centers where a significant portion of Ukrainians reside.
Embassy of Ukraine in Tel Aviv: Historical Overview, Functions, and Cultural Role
