ELNET is a non-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening relations between Europe and Israel based on shared democratic values and strategic interests

UK professional team, board members, patrons and international leadership

Professional team

  • Rt Hon Joan Ryan

    Chief Executive Officer, ELNET-UK

    Joan Ryan was elected as a UK Member of Parliament in 1997. In 2002 Joan Ryan was promoted to Government Whip followed by a further promotion to become the Home Office Minister responsible for Immigration and Police Improvement. In 2007 she was appointed as Special Representative to Cyprus by the Prime Minister and appointed to the Privy Council by Her Majesty the Queen. In 2015 Joan Ryan was appointed as Chair for the Labour Friends of Israel and in 2016 she was appointed by the Speaker to the House of Commons Speaker’s Panel, chairing public bills and parliamentary debates.

  • Gemma Ricketts

    Deputy Director

    Gemma is a former political advisor with the UK Labour Party, working for politicians including Charles Clarke, David Miliband and Pat McFadden. She has spent the last decade in financial services, working on global transformation programmes in the regulatory, risk and conduct space.

    Gemma is Deputy Director at ELNET UK; she has written extensively on the current Israel-Hamas conflict and has led delegations to Israel.

  • Gil Newmark

    Policy and Communications Officer

    Gil recently graduated from Leeds University with a BA in Politics.

    He has actively worked to tackle disinformation and advocated against antisemitism on campus and led ELNET UK’s work at the 2024 Actions Matter conference in Berlin.

Board Members

  • Victor Abrams

    Chairman, ELNET-UK

    Victor is an expert in global taxation, having spent nearly 30 years advising the world’s leading companies as a Partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in London and New York, and then 6 years as a Special Advisor for KPMG.

    Victor is passionate about the power of international trade and education to improve prosperity,  deliver peace, and foster understanding and excitement about Israel and its achievements.

  • Angela Cohen MBE

    Board Member

    Angela Cohen has been Chairman of the ’45 Aid Society for the past 7 years.

    Her late father, Moishe Malenicky, was one of a group of over 700 orphaned child survivors, brought to the UK in 1945, most of whom had lost their entire families during the Holocaust.

    Angela has worked with the BBC and a number of production companies and has featured extensively on Holocaust-related TV programmes. In 2022 Angela was awarded an MBE for Holocaust education and awareness together with her son, Robert Rinder MBE. It was the first time a mother and son received an award together.

  • Ged Ornstein

    Board Member

    Ged brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his Board role.  A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and formerly a partner with Fisher Phillips, Chartered Accountants from 1974 until 2014, Ged remains a consultant to the Practice. 

    Ged was previously a Trustee and co-Chair of StandWithUs UK. He is currently a Trustee of The Estelle Trust, which assists schools and communities in Zambia and The Walter Lees Foundation.

  • David Meller

    Board Member

    David Meller CBE is an entrepreneur, businessman and philanthropist. He brings decades of business experience to his role on the board.  

    David founded the Meller Educational Trust and was previously a Trustee of Greenhouse Sports, a London-based charity committed to using sport to help young people living in the inner city to realise their full potential.

    David Chaired Academy Development programmes for 5 years, represented the Board of Trade, and was a member of the Department of Education. He served as the Vice-Chair of Onward Think Tank and is currently on the Board of Trustees for the Jewish Museum of London and Tel Aviv University. David was honoured with a CBE in the 2018 New Year’s Honours for “Services to Education.

Patrons

  • Rabbi Julia Neuberger

    In 1977, Baroness Julia Neuberger became Britain’s second female Rabbi and the first to have her own synagogue. Rabbi Neuberger has been a Trustee of the British Council, Jewish Care and is Trustee of the Booker Prize Foundation. Neuberger was made a life peer in the House of Lords in 2004 and served as Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson from 2004-2007. In 2011, Neuberger resigned from the party to become a crossbencher and later chaired the Advisory Panel on Judicial Diversity. Neuberger has also regularly appeared on BBC Radio 2 programme Pause for Thought.

  • Lord George Foulkes

    Lord George Foulkes is a Scottish politician and a Labour life peer in the House of Lords. Foulkes has served as shadow Europe minister, shadow Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Minister, shadow Defence Minister and also shadow Minister for overseas aid. Between 2007-2010, Lord Foulkes was a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee in the Cabinet Office and until 2015 he served on the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy. A strong supporter of Israel, Lord Foulkes is a member of Labour Friends of Israel and in recent years, Foulkes has been an outspoken critic of the failure to adequately tackle the rising tide of antisemitism in Britian’s Labour Party when under Jeremy Corbyn.

  • Jonathan Turner

    Jonathan Turner is Chief Executive of UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), a voluntary organisation of lawyers who employ advocacy, legal research and campaigning to support Israel and stand against attempts to delegitismise the state. Jonathan has chaired the organisation since its inception, it has now grown to 1500 members and supporters globally, with patrons that include some of the most distinguished members of the legal profession in the UK. A large UKLFI focus remains on ensuring the full adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism across British society and calling out the unlawful and divisive malpractice of BDS.

  • Dermot Kehoe

    Dermot Kehoe is a former Chief Executive of the Britain Israel Communications & Research Centre (BICOM). BICOM worked with journalists, policy makers and academics to promote interest in and dialogue with Israel. He Is currently the Communications and Transition Director at Flood Re, a world first collaboration between the UK Government and insurance industry to protect homes from flooding and adapt to Climate Change.  Dermot is an expert in strategic communications, public policy and media realtions and had held a number of senior roles including at the NHS, Home Office, Social Market Foundation and the BBC.

  • Julia Abrams

    Julia has long held Israel close to her heart, first visiting at the age of 16 where she lived on Kibbuitz Regavim. A former Justice of the Peace and law graduate, Julia worked for the Citizens Advice Bureau before joining Chai Cancer Care’s as a volunteer fundraiser, where she worked for the last ten years.

  • Alan Jacobs

    Alan Jacobs, founder and principal of London based investment and advisory firm, Jacobs Capital, is a former corporate lawyer with over 30 years’ experience in Investment banking and Private Equity.  Alan has been a non-executive director of a wide range of companies including Iceland Foods, Virgin Active and Zoggs.  He is Chair of British Friends of Hebrew University, a Director of Jewish Community focused Housing Association, Industrial Dwelling Society, and a Trustee of The Jacob Foundation, owner of the Jewish News.  He is a former Chair of the Jewish Chronicle and Trustee of UJS.  Alan is a strong supporter of Israel and committed to strengthening its democratic institutions and ensuring equality for all Israelis.

  • Lord Howard Leigh

    Lord Leigh of Hurley is a Conservative backbench Peer, a Senior Treasurer of the Conservative Party, and serves on the Advisory Board of Conservative Friends of Israel. He is the Senior Partner of Cavendish Corporate Finance and has been visiting Israel since 1972. He is the Chairman of the Jerusalem Foundation (UK), having been invited to join the Board 25 years ago by Teddy Kollek. Howard serves as the President of Westminster Synagogue and the Institute of Jewish Policy and Research, and is a Vice President of the Jewish Leadership Council.

  • Lord Leslie Turnberg

    Lord Leslie Turnberg is the co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Israel. Lord Turnberg graduated in medicine from Manchester University in 1957 and specialised in gastroenterology in Manchester, London and Dallas, Texas. In 1992 he was elected President of the Royal College of Physicians of London. Lord Turnberg was knighted in 1994 and was created a Life Peer in 2000. He continues to be active in medical affairs in the House of Lords and is a member of the Committee on Medical Research and Rare, Genetic and Undiagnosed Conditions.

    He was a Jewish Medical Association (UK) founder patron. In 2008 Lord and Lady Turnberg, in partnership with the Academy of Medical Sciences, established the Daniel Turnberg Memorial Fellowships. These fellowships are in memory of their late son, a doctor and researcher with a keen interest in fostering links between the UK and the Middle East. The aim is to encourage researchers to experience an alternative research environment, to learn new techniques and develop ideas for future collaborations.

  • Judith Ornstein

    Judith is a seasoned campaigner against antisemitism / antizionism; because of her passion for the arts she began by challenging the cultural boycott of Israel. During the Corbyn years she produced two films and books, the first ‘Whitewashed’ and the second ‘Forced Out’ to stand as primary evidence from witnesses affected by Labour antisemitism.

International leadership

  • Dr. Emmanuel Navon

    Chief Executive Officer, ELNET-Israel

    Dr. Emmanuel Navon is an academic with expertise on Europe-Israel relations. He lectures International Relations at Tel Aviv University, is a senior fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS) and is a foreign affairs analyst for i24news. He has taught in the past at Reichman University, at Bar-Ilan University, and the IDF’s National Security College. Navon is the author of several books, including The Star and the Scepter: A Diplomatic History of Israel, a a reference book that has been translated in five languages.

    Previously, he was a consultant for ARTTIC, where he advised Israeli companies on building partnerships in Europe and on obtaining R&D funding from the European Commission; CEO of BNIC, an organization that trained Israeli business leaders for public diplomacy in Europe; and founding partner of The Navon-Levy Group, a consultancy that promoted Israeli agriculture and energy projects in Sub-Saharan Africa.

  • Matthijs Schussler

    Chief Executive Officer, ELNET-EU and NATO

    Matthijs Schussler has started his career as an attorney at law dealing with private equity and real estate, at an Amsterdam based international law firm. Thereafter he worked as legal advisor and official secretary to the President and National Board of the Dutch Christian Democratic Party (CDA).

    For the last five years Matthijs served as senior policy advisor at the European People's Party (EPP), the largest party in the European Parliament, with a focus on international trade, aviation and the European budget. He speaks fluent Hebrew and holds an MA and BA Law degree from the University of Leiden in The Netherlands.

  • Dr Arié Bensemhoun

    Chief Executive Officer, ELNET-France

    Dr Arié Bensemhoun has been the Chief Executive Officer of ELNET France since 2011. He is dentist by profession and made his career in the private sector as a consultant in communications, PR and international relations dealing with Middle East and strategic affairs.

    Dr Bensemhoun plays a crucial role in the French-Israeli relationship through his commitment both at the community and political levels.

  • Carsten Ovens

    Chief Executive Officer, ELNET-Germany

    Carsten Ovens is the Executive Director of ELNET Germany since March 2019. With almost two decades of experience in politics; as a Member of the Hamburg State Parliament, he devoted his work to the German-Israeli relations with a focus on innovation and start-ups for many years.

    Beforehand, Carsten worked in business development and management consulting throughout Europe, as a lecturer on marketing and communications at several leading universities, and as a researcher on social media communication effects on politics and society.

  • Roberta Anati

    Chief Executive Officer, ELNET-Italy

    Roberta Anati has played a key role in building the economic relations between Israel and Italy since 1992, including opening the Italian Trade Commission and serving as its Deputy Director, as well as serving as Vice President of the Israel-Italy Chamber of Commerce. She has consulted to the Italian Embassy, as well as former Head of the Crisis Unity.

    Roberta is an award-winning business intelligence and innovation leader who leverages emerging technologies to drive innovation and business growth for several billion-dollar family companies. She is a sought-after thought leader on emerging technology, ecosystems and building cultures between countries.

  • David Siegel

    President, FELNET

    David Siegel is former Israeli diplomat involved in foreign policy formulation at the highest levels, including as Consul General to the Southwest United States. He served as the Chief of Staff to Israel’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Director of the Foreign Ministry’s International Organizations Department and Chief of Staff to three of Israel’s Ambassadors to the United States.

    He holds an MA in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a BA in political science from the University of Vermont.

  • Marta Kubica

    Executive Director, ELNET-Central & Eastern Europe

    Marta Kubica brings 15 years of professional and academic experience in Polish-Jewish and Polish-Israel relations. She spent ten years at the Embassy of Israel in Poland, where she supported the Executive Office in liaising with state and local government officials, business, academia, churches and the Jewish community. She also supported high-level visits and managed numerous projects aimed at furthering and improving Polish-Israeli relations.

    Marta served as Diplomatic Protocol Specialist at the U.S. Embassy Warsaw, focusing on the protocol, project management and high-level visits, as well as advising the Executive Office.

    With an academic background in Jewish studies and political science, Marta has an extensive track record of promoting Israel and its image in Poland. She served as chairwoman of the Jewish Studies students’ association and established an academic exchange program between the Jagiellonian University in Krakow and Ariel University in Israel.

  • Joan Ryan

    Chief Executive Officer, ELNET-UK

    Joan Ryan was elected as a UK Member of Parliament in 1997. In 2002 Joan Ryan was promoted to Government Whip followed by a further promotion to become the Home Office Minister responsible for Immigration and Police Improvement. In 2007 she was appointed as Special Representative to Cyprus by the Prime Minister and appointed to the Privy Council by Her Majesty the Queen. In 2015 Joan Ryan was appointed as Chair for the Labour Friends of Israel and in 2016 she was appointed by the Speaker to the House of Commons Speaker’s Panel, chairing public bills and parliamentary debates.

Friends of ELNET

  • Eric Edidin

    Eric Edidin co-founded Archer Capital Management in 2006. Previously, he was a Managing Director at York Capital Management member of Morgan Stanley Capital Partners global investment team, and member of the Blackstone Group’s restructuring advisory team. Mr. Edidin is a board member of the JDRF of Los Angeles, a trustee of the Washington Institute, and member of the investment committee of the Jewish Communal Fund of NY. He received a B.A. degree with highest distinction from the University of Michigan, and an M.B.A from Harvard Business School.

  • Joseph W. Feinberg

    Joseph Feinberg is Director of the Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. The family foundation is a loyal and generous supporter of many worthy charities including Northwestern University and its medical school, the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Feinberg is a Senior Vice President and Portfolio Management Director at Morgan Stanley. His group assists affluent investors and businesses in accumulating and protecting their wealth.

  • Robert T. Flesh

    Robert T. (Tom) Flesh is CEO and President of Homewood Realty and Community Asset Management Company and serves on the Board of Directors of Thrifty Oil Co. and its affiliated companies. Tom, a past President of Sinai Temple of Los Angeles, is a member of its Board of Directors.  He and his wife, Judy Orden Flesh, are active in interfaith unity efforts, Jewish and Israel based institutions, and organizations focused on education and at risk youth. Tom has served on several community boards and commissions. Judy and Tom have four married children and ten grandchildren.

  • Leonard Foxman

    Leonard Foxman for over 30 years served as the CEO and Founder of Eagle Test Systems, Inc., producing automatic semiconductor testing systems, with offices in Asia, Europe, and the United States. Eagle became a publicly owned company in 2006 (EGLT-NASDAQ), and was sold to Teradyne, Inc in 2008. He then served as the General Manager of Eagle Test Systems Division of Teradyne, Inc. Foxman is now President of the Foxman Family Foundation in Highland Park, IL, as well as Treasurer of the charitable Cool Clothes Closet.

  • Andrew Hochberg

    Mr. Andrew Hochberg is a leader in the Chicago Jewish community, serving as Chairman of the Board for the Jewish Federation of Chicago formerly chairing its Overall Planning and Allocation Committee and Government Affairs Committee. Mr. Hochberg led fundraising for the Jewish Day School Guaranty Trust Fund and served as a presidential appointee to the US Holocaust Memorial Committee. He is a founder and CEO of a real estate investment firm Next Realty. He holds BS in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and Juris Doctor from Northwestern University.

  • David Jonas

    David Jonas is the Founder, President and CEO of JVC Investment Partners LLC, a firm that provides private investment and strategic support in the healthcare space. Founder, former Chairman and CEO of PharMEDium Healthcare Corporation, the industry’s leader and preeminent provider of hospital sterile compounding services for IV and Epidural therapies, a $10 billion market in the USA. Prior to that, Mr. Jonas held a number of senior management position with Baxter. He serves and served on a number of privately held companies and not for profit organizations.

  • Kenneth A. Ruby

    Kenneth A. Ruby is a former President of Stephen S. Wise Temple. He is also a member of the Hebrew Union College Board of Governors emeritus, and a board member and Chairman of the Construction Committee of the Skirball Cultural Center. He was responsible for building over 3500 apartment units while with R&B Development Company, which he helped found. After leaving R&B Development Co., he founded Ken Ruby Construction Co., a real estate development, contractor and management company.

  • Jerry Rosenberg

    Jerry Rosenberg is Vice-Chairmain of the National Distributing Company and Partner at the Republic National Distributing Company Jointly with his wife Dulcy, he co-founded the Alfred and Adele Davis Academy, as well as Project Newborn in Miami Florida. He serves on the boards of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, William Breman Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Museum in Atlanta Georgia, Atlanta Opera, the Schenck School for Children with Dyslexia, Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, and is a member of the AIPAC Minyan Group.

  • Susan Wagner

    Susan is CEO of the Wagner family office and managing principal of Jarnis United Properties, the family’s umbrella real estate investment company. Jarnis owns commercial real estate and its current portfolio is made up primarily of multi-family, medical/nursing facilities and self-storage.  Susan is also President of the Nathan and Esther K. Wagner Family Foundation. Outside of the family office, Susan Wagner serves on the board of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy – a premier Washington think tank on Middle East policy – and CEJP (Center for Entrepreneurial Jewish Philanthropy) which facilitates contributions to pro-peace and pro-Israel non-profits.