Moshe Yegar

Moshe Yegar ( en hebreo : משה יגר ; 30 de octubre de 1930 – 28 de noviembre de 2025) fue un diplomático, historiador y erudito israelí. Es conocido por su profundo conocimiento del islam en el sudeste asiático y la historia del servicio diplomático de Israel. A lo largo de su carrera, Yegar ocupó diversos cargos diplomáticos en todo el mundo y fue autor de numerosas obras sobre temas relacionados.

Moshe Yegar nació en Buenos Aires, Argentina, el 30 de octubre de 1930, hijo de Jacob y Chava Yegar. Su padre, Jacob Yegar, fue educador y uno de los fundadores de la primera escuela hebrea de Buenos Aires, que recibió su nombre en honor al poeta Hayim Nahman Bialik . La familia Yegar emigró a Palestina en 1935 y se estableció en Haifa , donde Moshe asistió a la Escuela Hebrea Reali . Estudió historia islámica en la Universidad Hebrea de Jerusalén , donde obtuvo su licenciatura, maestría y doctorado. ^{[ 1 ]}

Entre 1946 y 1948, Yegar participó en la Haganá , una organización paramilitar judía bajo el Mandato Británico. Tras la creación de Israel, sirvió como oficial en las Fuerzas de Defensa de Israel entre 1949 y 1955, alcanzando el rango de mayor. ^{[ 1 ]}

Yegar se unió al Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores de Israel en 1956, donde desempeñó diversas funciones hasta su jubilación en 1995. Entre sus destinos diplomáticos se incluyen Rangún (actualmente Yangón ), Los Ángeles , Filadelfia , Nueva York , Estocolmo y Praga . En 1965, se le encomendó la apertura de una representación semidiplomática en Kuala Lumpur , Malasia , aunque esta cerró al cabo de un año debido a la falta de relaciones diplomáticas formales. ^{[ 2 ]}

In Jerusalem, he held senior positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Head of the Information Department (1975–1978), Deputy Director General and Head of the Division for Information and Communication (1980–1985), and later Deputy Director General overseeing Asia, Africa, and Oceania (1990–1993).^[3][4]

As an expert on Southeast Asian Islam, Yegar taught a course on the political history of Southeast Asia at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for nine years. He has authored numerous books and articles on Islam in Southeast Asia and Israel's foreign policy, published in Hebrew and English. His research primarily covers the Muslim communities of Myanmar, the Southern Philippines, and Southern Thailand.^[7]

In addition to his diplomatic and academic work, Yegar has held public roles as chairman of Beit Agnon in Jerusalem, the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra, and The Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature in Jerusalem.

Yegar was married to Dr. Dvorah Barzilay-Yegar, a historian who specializes in the life of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, the first President of Israel. The couple had one son and one daughter.

Yegar died on 28 November 2025, at the age of 95.^[8]

In 1994, Moshe Yegar was honored with the Palacky Gold Medal by the Czech National Academy of Science in recognition of his extensive research on Islam in Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on the Rohingya community in Burma. This award highlighted his contributions to understanding the region's complex religious and ethnic dynamics.

In 2013, Yegar's efforts in diplomacy were acknowledged when he received the M.L. Sondhi Prize for International Politics from the Institute for Asia and the Pacific for his instrumental role in facilitating diplomatic relations between India and Israel.^[9]

In 2019, he was awarded the prestigious Jabotinsky Prize for Literature and Research, further solidifying his reputation as a scholar and a diplomat who has significantly contributed to both academic inquiry and practical diplomacy.

• The Muslims of Burma: A Study of a Minority Group. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz. 1972.
• Islam and Islamic Institutions in British Malaya – Policies and Implementation. Jerusalem: Magnes Press, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 1979. ISBN 965-223-310-2.
• Between Integration and Secession: The Muslim Communities of the Southern Philippines, Southern Thailand, and Western Burma/Myanmar. Lanham: Lexington Books. 2002.
• Israel in Asia: Selected Essays. Jerusalem: Yuvalim Press. 2016.
• The Beginning of Israel's Foreign Service (1948–1967). Jerusalem: Carmel Publishing. 2021. ISBN 978-965-7791-12-7.

• Published books by Moshe Yegar in the Stanford University library catalog.