Eli Groner
Eli GronerArutz Sheva screenshot

Eli Groner, an American immigrant from New York who formerly worked as a journalist and a staffer in the Foreign Ministry, was confirmed Sunday as Director of the Prime Minister's Office – an extremely important position in which Groner will manage the day to day operations of numerous government activities.

Before taking on his new job, Groner was Israel's Minister for Economic Affairs to the United States, based in Washington, a position he took on in 2011. Before that, he was a consultant at McKinsey & Company, where he worked with Fortune 1000 companies in Israel and around the world. He also worked at English-language newspaper The Jerusalem Post.

Born in Binghamton, New York, Groner, now 40, made aliyah to Israel with his family when he was 15. He served in the paratroops, where he was the radioman for Moshe Yaalon – now Defense Minister. After his military service, Groner studied political science at Bar Ilan University.

Commenting on Groner's confirmation by the government Sunday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that “Eli combines in a superb manner the experiences he has had as an economic adjunct in Washington and his large body of work in the private sector, including his work at McKinsey. The characteristics he brings to the job are essential to promoting the plans of governments and ministries,” said Netanyahu.