Meet the New Consul General to the Southeast
Eitan Weiss greeted Atlanta’s Jewish leaders and shared his vision in his new position at the Consulate.
Eighty Jewish Atlanta community leaders, many of whom were rabbis, convened at the home of Steven and Delilah Cohen on Aug. 27 to welcome the new Israeli Consul General to the Southeast, Eitan Weiss, who has held four posts in the past 18 years. Weiss began by commending Anat Sultan Dadon’s “six years in an amazing role here” as his predecessor and explaining that “diplomacy is not one man’s act.”
Earlier in the year, Israel’s Cabinet announced Weiss’ appointment as part of a group of new diplomats. The Atlanta consulate serves seven states: Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and Mississippi.
Weiss was recently director of export control in Jerusalem and previously head of the Israel Metaverse project. He later served as a deputy chief (Los Angeles Consulate) and held roles at embassies in Ottawa and Moscow (which Weiss described as “freezing and full of fun”). Before entering the foreign ministry, he worked as a customer service manager at Orange in Rosh Ha’Ayin, Birmingham’s sister city in Israel. Weiss has a degree in international relations and political science from Hebrew University, and a master’s in conflict resolution from Tel Aviv University. He served in Army Intelligence in the Israel Defense Forces.
Questions opened. JNF Director Beth Gluck sought Weiss’ takeaway from his California position. Weiss labeled Los Angeles as “an amazing widely ranged community … left, right, and large Orthodox community. We had candid respectful discussions.”
Owner and publisher of Atlanta Jewish Times, Michael Morris, asked Weiss what he needed to accomplish his goals. Weiss replied, “Not money. Be our eyes and ears with friends and families here and there where we come from a place of logic and pause before issuing a verdict.”
He especially referred to the younger generation hiding behind ignorance and social media.
Sabra Ronit Pinksy noted, “Our PR in Hebrew (Hasbara) as a country … Israel is not very productive and we are frustrated and struggling against the massive propaganda of our enemies and Hamas supporters, especially on social media. What can the Consulate and you, Eitan, do to combat it?”
Weiss replied, “Our values dictate that we will not lie … but everyone loves an underdog, and there’s so much propaganda … the media today is not ‘Edward R Murrow.’ It has an agenda.”
Weiss spoke of a biased article from a French source which he attempted to remedy, only to hear excuses of “improper translation,” and the reporter being hired to write the article with a negative slant.
Weiss spoke of Israel still “licking its wounds” post-COVID and Oct. 7, with tourism and GDP indicators.
“Tourism got a big hit, and the government helped it float,” he said. He told of his outreach to college campuses where he has encountered stone throwing and shouting over letting him speak.
The evening’s conversation segued to the United Nations and Australia and others officially recognizing Palestinian statehood. “It’s a slap in the face. At the UN, the odds are against us … being a political body of mostly third-world dictatorships. The resolution will pass.”
Weiss concluded with confidence. “I’m going to continue this race. Anat passed the baton in perfect shape.”
He pledged to build bridges with the local Black, Muslim, and Latino communities with “real dialogue.”
Delilah Cohen urged the community at-large to show up for events like Yom Haatzmaut, and said, “There is a vital need to strengthen the ties between the Israeli and American Jewish communities here. We must not only act as one, but embrace our collective identity, and our differences, recognizing that we’re stronger together. While challenges such as language barriers and cultural differences may arise, it’s essential that we unite, as when one of us is hurt, we all feel the impact. Closing the gaps between our communities allows collaboration not only during these challenging times of rising antisemitism, but also for fostering positive initiatives in business, education, cultural events, and idea exchange. Together, we can build a more resilient, vibrant, and united Jewish community that benefits us all.”