Houston-based Israel to the Southwest consulate reports meeting with Turner: 'Excited for boundless new opportunities'

Houston-based Israel to the Southwest United States Consul General recently met with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, according to consulate social media posts.

The consulate posted photos of Consul General Livia Link-Raviv meeting with Turner to its Twitter and Facebook pages. The social media posts did not say when the meeting took place and no announcement has been issued by the mayor's office.

"Had a wonderful meeting with a dear friend of the State of Israel, Houston’s Mayor Sylvester Turner discussing the many areas for cooperation with this great city including, innovation, energy and medicine and health and community development," the Facebook post said. "The parallels between Houston and Israel are immense. Excited for boundless new opportunities."

Link-Raviv was posted to Houston as Israel's consul general this past August, according to information on the consulate's website. She previously served 20 years as a career diplomat for Israeli MFA with postings in Caracas, Venezuela and Italy.

During her time in Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Link-Raviv has worked in the Department for International Organizations where she, among other things, coordinated policy for Israel with the United Nations and directed the MFA's Cadet Course. She also led training and preparation of the next generation of diplomats for the MFA, where she also was in charge of economic affairs in the legal adviser division, and also directed the Pacific Department.

Before joining the MFA, Link-Raviv practiced law and was a mediator in Israel's Family Court. Link-Raviv holds a bachelor's degree in law and a master's degree in conflict resolution from Hebrew University. She is a member of the Israeli Bar Association.

The Consulate General of Israel to the Southwest United States operates in the five-state region of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, and its departments include academic, cultural, Hispanic, press, political and strategic affairs.

Turner has never made any secret about Houston's ties and similarities with Israel. In June 2017, Turner lead a weeklong economic development mission to Israel.

"The world calls Houston a knowledge capital, and we are eager to explore new opportunities and learn from Israeli experts in cyber security, technology and medicine," Turner said in a city news release at the time. "Our goal is to create a technological partnership between Houston and Israel in the fields of energy, life sciences and smart cities."