Ron Gerstenfeld to Take Over Israel’s San Francisco Consulate

Career diplomat Ron Gerstenfeld is set to become Israel’s consul general in San Francisco in early August, succeeding Marco Sermoneta after his four-year term. Gerstenfeld will represent Israel across Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. He has served at Israeli embassies in Uruguay and Australia and most recently directed European economic affairs at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem. The handoff follows the cabinet’s November approval of Gerstenfeld’s appointment, while Sermoneta returns to Israel after a tenure that included outreach to Jewish communities following the October 7 Hamas attack.