Yechiel "Michael" Leiter (; born October 1, 1959) is an American-born Israeli historian of philosophy, public policy analyst, rabbi and settlement activist.[ Yechiel Leiter, herzlinstitute.org] On January 27, 2025, he assumed the position of Israeli ambassador to the United States.[ He is affiliated with the Kohelet Policy Forum.]
Early life and education
Yechiel Leiter was born on 1 October 1959 in Scranton, Pennsylvania.[ Israel’s new US ambassador suggests Saudi normalisation on the brink]
Leiter holds an undergraduate degree in legal studies, a Bachelor of Arts in political science, a Master of Arts in international relations, and a PhD in political philosophy from the University of Haifa.[ ד"ר יחיאל לייטר מונה לתפקיד שגריר ישראל בארה"ב]
Career
Leiter served as a political advisor to Knesset member Ariel Sharon and in multiple senior government positions: first as deputy director general of the Israeli Ministry of Education,
Leiter subsequently became a senior policy analyst[ Yechiel Leiter, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs] at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, where he directed and edited a geopolitical blog. In that capacity, he was a frequent guest on Israeli and a contributor to such Israeli media outlets such as YNet, Maariv-NRG, and Yisrael Hayom.
In 2008, Leiter ran
He has served as the chief executive officer of 3H Global,[ Dr Yechiel (Michael) Leiter , 3hge.com] an international consultancy group specializing in aiding governments to formulate and implement policy.
In 2010, Leiter was a candidate for the position of Chairman of Israel Broadcasting Authority.
He served as the advisor and chief strategist of Horacio Cartes, President of Paraguay.
In 2011, he was elected chairman of Israel Ports Authority. In that capacity he was responsible for the planning of Israel's seaport operations and the building of two new in Ashdod and Haifa.
Leiter taught political philosophy in the law faculty at the Ono Academic College in Kiryat Ono. He is strategic advisor to the Foundation for the Archaeological Exploration, Restoration and Expansion of Ancient Shiloh.
Leiter has served as a member of the board of governors of the University of Judea and Samaria in Ariel and as a director on the National Committee for the Perpetuation of the Memory of Theodor Herzl. He serves on the board of directors of The Israel Experience, a subsidiary of the Jewish Agency for Israel, which manages the "Taglit-Birthright" program in Israel.
Leiter is a senior fellow at the Kohelet Policy Forum.
20th Ambassador of Israel to the United States
In January 2025, Leiter became the 20th Israeli ambassador to the United States, assuming the position following the departure of Michael Herzog from that role.[
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Personal life
For many years he resided in Eli, a settlement in Judea and Samaria, with his wife and their eight children. In recent years he has lived in Alon Shvut. His son, Major (Res.) Moshe Yedidia Leiter, a medical student, served as a platoon commander in the Shaldag Unit and was killed in the northern Gaza Strip in 2023 in the Gaza war.[ Maj. (res.) Moshe Leiter, 39: Father of 6 training to be a doctor]
Leiter has authored three books and dozens of articles on Zionism and Israeli politics and has lectured extensively to audiences throughout the United States, Canada, England, Australia, South Africa, and South America.
Bibliography
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John Locke's Political Philosophy and the Hebrew Bible, 2018, Cambridge University Press
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Aloh Naaleh - 'The Aliyah Imperative' (1988), in Hebrew
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A Peace to Resist: Why the Rabin-Arafat Deal Must Be Stopped, and How It Can Be Done (1993)
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Crisis in Israel (1994)
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Israel at the cross-roads: The view from the hills of Judea and Samaria (1999)
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Between Despair and Hope: Public Perceptions of Educational Reform (2005)
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Political Views from Above (2008), in Hebrew
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The Political Hebraism of John Locke: A New-Old Reading of the Two Treatises of Government (2008)
