Matthew Gould

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For the New Zealand footballer, see Matthew Gould (footballer).
Matthew Gould
British Ambassador to Israel
In office
September 2010 – 2015
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Preceded bySir Tom Phillips
Succeeded byDavid Quarrey
Personal details
Born
Matthew Steven Gould

(1971-08-20) 20 August 1971 (age 52)
British Ambassador to Israel

Matthew Steven Gould

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (2015–19) and Ambassador to Israel
(2010–15).

Early life

Gould is descended from

Polish Jews who immigrated to the United Kingdom before World War II. His grandfather changed the family name from Goldkorn to Gould.[1]
Gould grew up in Wembley, London[2] and was educated at Orley Farm School, Harrow before moving to St. Paul's School, where he was a contemporary of George Osborne, Patrick Neate, and Ed Vaizey.[3] After St Paul's he spent a year teaching at Nyarukunda Secondary School in Northern
NGO Frontier, and subsequently published an article on termite feeding preferences in the academic journal Sociobiology.[5]

Foreign Office, 1993–2010

After joining the

Bosnia), Security Policy Department until 1994; and then as Second Secretary in Manila in charge of political affairs and press from 1994 to 1997.[6]

In Manila, Gould launched a programme of co-operation between Britain and the Philippines to combat child abuse, which included bringing detectives from the UK to run training courses for Filipino police officers.[7][8] He was awarded the MBE for this work in the 1997 New Year's Honours list, at age 26.[4] Gould was in Manila when Robin Cook visited as Foreign Secretary. Gould wrote a speech for Cook, and was immediately appointed by him as his speechwriter, continuing until 1999. During this period, Gould coordinated and led a group of young FCO officials keen to reform the FCO. Initially known as the Young Turks, the project led to the Foresight Report, a major internal review of how the FCO worked. The report was widely credited with helping the FCO to modernise itself and develop new and more open working practices.[4][9]

Gould served as Deputy Head of the FCO's Consular Division from 1999 to 2001. In this time, he worked with

Khuzestan to negotiate their release, and flew back with them to Tehran.[11]

From 2005 to 2007, Gould was Foreign and Security Policy Counsellor and the Representative of the Joint Intelligence Committee in Washington, DC. Afterwards, from April to July 2007, Gould was Private Secretary for Foreign Affairs to the Prime Minister, initially with Tony Blair and then under Gordon Brown.[6]

He was Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary from July 2007 to July 2010, running the office of David Miliband for almost all the latter's time as Foreign Secretary, and then of William Hague for the first few months that he was in office.

As Ambassador to Israel

In September 2010, Gould took up the post of British ambassador to Israel, and served in that role until 2015.

Jew in the post,[4]
and spoke of his pride in the position on a number of occasions.

In a video message that coincided with his arrival in Israel, Gould outlined his three goals: Explaining Israel to Britain; explaining Britain to Israel and forging a strong partnership between the two. Gould said, “I need to give a strong message from Britain that as Israel goes down the difficult path to peace, Israel isn't alone.” He also said, “Britain is very clear: We regard Israel as an important strategic partner.”[13] Before he was ambassador, Gould was involved in a number of secret meetings organised by Denis MacShane, involving himself, Liam Fox and Adam Werritty. The Foreign Office said in response that "The FCO has total confidence that Matthew Gould has acted appropriately at all times and at no stage was he acting independently, or out of line with government policy."[14]

In November 2011, in discussing religious faith and diplomats, Middle East Minister Alistair Burt said that "there is absolutely no reason why our ambassador to Israel should not be Jewish. Any allegations about Matthew Gould's conduct are utterly unsubstantiated. He is a first-class ambassador." Douglas Alexander, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, said: "The faith of any British diplomat is irrelevant to their capability to their job. To make suggestions otherwise is wrong and offensive. On a personal note I know from my time in government Matthew Gould embodies all that is good in British diplomacy."[15]

Holocaust survivors initiative

In 2011, Gould and wife Celia, together with then-Israeli ambassador to London

Holocaust survivors in Israel.[16] Approximately half of the £2 million goal has been raised, and six social clubs for survivors are being set up around Israel. The first was officially opened in February 2012, in the presence of Israeli Welfare Minister Moshe Kahlon
.

Israel and Iran's nuclear threat

Gould told the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz in November 2011 that efforts at preventing a nuclear program in Iran are continuing and that "The U.K. and Israel stay in very close touch about the threat from Iran."[17]

Israel's "Boycott bill"

Following the passage by the Israeli Knesset in July 2011 of the "Boycott Bill", which allows Israeli citizens to sue organisations or persons calling for a boycott against Israel or parts of Israel, and forbids the government from funding such organisations, Gould told the Israeli daily Maariv newspaper, "We are concerned about the passing of this law, which damages the legitimate right to freedom of speech, and which conflicts with the strong Israeli tradition of lively and vigorous political debate."[18]

In November 2011, he warned Israeli

Ophir Akunis that the passage of a bill that would limit foreign funding to human rights organisations, would "reflect badly on Israel in the international community".[19]
Gould has also spoken at major conferences to urge Israel to ensure it is living up to its founding vision of a nation for all its citizens, saying that if Israel's prosperity is to be sustainable, it needs to harness the economic potential of all its communities – including the Arab community of Israel.[20]

Promoting Israeli and UK hi-tech

In October 2010, Gould and the British Embassy in Israel officially launched the UK-Israel Technologies Hub. The Hub is tasked with forging a tech partnership between the two countries. The goal is to position the UK as a natural partner of choice for Israel in technology, and ensure the UK market can make full use of the breadth and quality of Israeli R&D and innovation. The former CEO of

clean tech. The Hub is "unique as the team is the only dedicated group in the world promoting high-tech cooperation from inside an embassy".[21]

Israeli-UK science initiatives

Gould has been involved in a number of groundbreaking projects aimed at strengthening relations between the two countries: this includes the revamped BIRAX Regenerative Medicine Initiative, through which £10 million will be invested in 15 major UK-Israel research projects over a five-year period. The initiative was officially launched at a conference at Israel's

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in November 2011, which drew 250 experts in the field, including 60 British scientists from 20 different universities.[22]

International community support for Israel

Gould said in an interview in August 2012, "Israelis might wake up in 10 years time and find out that suddenly the international community has changed, and that patience for continuing the status quo has reduced."

Jewish Chronicle of London, an "Israeli Foreign Ministry source said privately that it was a pity more diplomats did not say what Mr Gould had said."[25]

Encouraging Jewish partnership with Oxfam

Gould said in January 2013, that supporters of Israel in Britain should do more to engage with critics of Israel, saying "If the friends of Israel only engage with those who already agree with them, they will find it difficult to win the argument." This came on the heels of a controversial partnering between the

British Board of Deputies, which represents the UK's Jewish community, with Oxfam, which has been criticised for being anti-Israel.[26]

He was appointed

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to British interests in Israel, particularly trade and investment scientific and technological co-operation.[27]

Cabinet Office and DCMS, 2015–2019

In late 2015, Gould was described as Director of Cyber Security and Information Assurance at the Cabinet Office.[28]

In March 2016, he was listed as director of the European and Global Issues Secretariat, part of the Cabinet Office which coordinates policy on international trade and development.[29] This role probably ceased when the unit was reorganised in June 2016 under Olly Robbins, in connection with the UK's relationship with the European Union.[30]

In October 2016, Gould became the government's first Director General for Digital and Media, based in the

Science and Technology Select Committee during its enquiry into digital government.[34]

NHS England

In May 2019, Gould was appointed as the first chief executive of NHSX, which oversees digitisation of NHS England and commissions projects from NHS Digital and other bodies.[32] NHSX came to public notice in April 2020 after it commissioned NHS COVID-19, a contact tracking app to monitor the spread of COVID-19,[35] which was later dropped by the UK government in favour of an Apple/Google-developed alternative.[36][37] Michael Gove, Cabinet Office minister, described Gould as an "inspirational public servant" when replying to questions on the app in the Commons in April 2020.[38]

When NHSX was merged into NHS Digital in February 2022, Gould was appointed dual roles as the National Director for Digital Transformation in NHS England, and Director General for Digital Transformation in the Department of Health and Social Care.[32] He left these roles in April 2022.[39]

Zoological Society of London

In September 2022, Gould was appointed as CEO for the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).[2]

Personal life

Gould married Celia Leaberry in 2009, and their first daughter was born at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center in April 2011.[40] Their second daughter was also born in Israel, in May 2013.[41] They lived at the British Ambassador's official residence in Ramat Gan with three cats and two dogs.[42]

Gould received an honorary doctorate from

Ben Gurion University in December 2012.[43]

References

  1. ^ a b "Profile: New envoy's a passionate horse-loving Zionist". The Jewish Chronicle. 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b Frazer, Jenni (15 December 2022). "The Jew who runs the zoo: Former UK ambassador to Israel on what it's like running London Zoo". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Politics". St Paul's School.
  4. ^ a b c d "Interview: The UK's new Jewish ambassador to Israel". The Jewish Chronicle. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  5. ^ "Publications list: The frequency of termite (Isoptera) damage to tree species in Namakutwa Forest, Tanzania". Seed Source. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  6. ^ a b "British Embassy Tel Aviv - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk.
  7. ^ "INVITATION: British Ambassador Matthew Gould, Tues. March 27th, 7:30pm". Eventbrite.
  8. ^ "BBC Politics 97". www.bbc.co.uk.
  9. ISBN 9781860649783
    – via Google Books.
  10. ^ "Forced marriage victims 'need more help'". 14 June 2001 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  11. ^ Harman, Danna (13 September 2010). "Britain's New Israel Ambassador Talks About Being Jewish, His Time in Iran, and Answering to Critics". Haaretz.
  12. Foreign & Commonwealth Office
    , 24 February 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  13. ^ "Britain's new ambassador to Israel, Matthew Gould". YouTube.
  14. The Independent on Sunday. Archived
    from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  15. ^ Jewish envoy not loyal to UK, says Labour MP
  16. ^ Holocaust Survivors Appeal Archived 4 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ Michaeli, Merav (10 November 2011). "Iran Feels Pressure of Nuclear Economic Sanctions, U.K. Official Says". Haaretz.
  18. ^ "Anti-boycott law not yet making diplomatic waves". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com.
  19. ^ Greenwood, Phoebe (13 November 2011). "Israeli ministers accused of trying to muzzle critics with funding curbs". The Guardian – via www.theguardian.com.
  20. ^ "Ambassador addresses conference on Equality as an Engine for Economic Growth". Archived from the original on 17 July 2012.
  21. ^ "Her Majesty's Hub". Archived from the original on 5 July 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link), The Jerusalem Report, 9 April 2012
  22. ^ "Launch of BIRAX Regenerative Medicine Initiative". Archived from the original on 28 November 2011.
  23. ^ "World might lose patience with Israel within 10 years, says U.K. Ambassador." Haaretz, 2 August 2012.
  24. ^ Pfeffer, Anshel (2 August 2012). "British envoy tells Israelis some un-diplomatic truths, and U.K. Jews should also listen in". Haaretz. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  25. ^ Conservative Friends of Israel attack envoy Matthew Gould
  26. ^ Ambassador Gould: Board must engage Israel critics
  27. ^ "No. 60895". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 2014. p. b4.
  28. ^ "Cyber challenge winner". Professional Security. 23 November 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  29. ^ "Cabinet Office staff and salary data: senior posts as at 31 March 2016". GOV.UK. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  30. ^ "Permanent Secretary appointed to lead the new EU unit in Cabinet Office". GOV.UK. 29 June 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  31. ^ "Civil service gets first director general for digital and media". Civil Service World. 19 October 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  32. ^ a b c "Matthew Gould". GOV.UK. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  33. ^ "Written evidence to Science and Technology Committee" (PDF). House of Commons. Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. January 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  34. ^ "Digital Government: oral evidence" (PDF). House of Commons. Science and Technology Committee. 4 March 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  35. ^ Gould, Matthew; Lewis, Geraint (24 April 2020). "Digital contact tracing: protecting the NHS and saving lives". Technology in the NHS. Department of Health and Social Care. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  36. ^ Rapson, Jasmine (18 May 2020). "NHSX chief: App problems are damaging our credibility". Health Service Journal. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  37. ^ "UK virus-tracing app switches to Apple-Google model". BBC. 18 June 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  38. ^ "Debate on Public Services". Hansard. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  39. ^ Crouch, Hannah (23 August 2022). "Former NHSX CEO reportedly set to join the Zoological Society of London". Digital Health. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  40. ^ "British ambassador adds a sabra baby girl to his family". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com.
  41. Jerusalem Post
    . The Jerusalem Post. 7 May 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  42. ^ "Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to Israel". Archived from the original on 4 January 2012.
  43. ^ Lipman, Jennifer (27 December 2012). "Gould: Boycotts divide people and reduce understanding". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 17 October 2019.

External links

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary
2007–2010 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
British Ambassador to Israel

2010–2015 		Succeeded by
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