Ambassador's daughter slept in a shelter at 9 days old: "People here are tough, from the siren back to the wine"
Michael Mann, the EU Ambassador to Israel, has been through quite a lot during his service in the country. In a podcast interview, he talks about his admiration for the people who "sit in a bar, enter a shelter, and then continue drinking," about the culture shock from driving, and about falling in love with Israeli food: "I gained weight here." Regarding the rising antisemitism: "People are racist and stupid."
The European Union Ambassador to Israel, Michael Mann, has been serving in the country since September 2025. His daughter was born in the country just nine days before the start of Operation "Lion's Roar" in February, and in an interview this week, he shares how he admires Israeli resilience and the speed of returning to routine after entering shelters, his shock at Israeli driving, and his love for the food here. Regarding antisemitism in Europe, he says: "People are racist and stupid."
In an interview for the "The Ambassador's Room" podcast by the Center for Jewish Impact, hosted by Miki Dubri, the British Mann shared his experiences as the representative of the 27 EU countries in Israel, and addressed the alarming rise in antisemitic events in Europe since October 7. "It is shameful," he said, "people can disagree with Israel's policy, but that should not lead to discrimination and attacking Jews. It is shameful, embarrassing, and unacceptable." Mann added that "there will always be ignorant and stupid people who are racist and discriminatory, but one must not mix legitimate criticism of a state with hatred for an entire people." He detailed the European Union's strategy for the next 10 years to fight antisemitism, strengthen security around Jewish institutions, and foster Jewish life on the continent.
From security to routine: "They leave the shelter and return to their wine"
Alongside political issues, Mann shared the personal experience of living in Israel during wartime and expressed great appreciation for Israeli resilience. He said that his daughter was born in mid-February in Israel, and barely nine days later another escalation broke out that changed their lives. "When she was nine days old, we slept in our home shelter every night for almost a month," he shared.
The ambassador praised the Home Front Command system and the civil organization in Israel, and noted that he is amazed by the speed of returning to routine: "People here are so tough. On Friday, people sit in a wine bar in Tel Aviv, there is a siren, everyone enters the shelter, comes out, and continues drinking their wine. It is amazing." When asked about the biggest "culture shock" he experienced upon arriving in Israel, the ambassador answered without hesitation with a smile: "Israeli driving."
However, he said that he and his family love life in the country very much, and especially the food. "I gained weight here significantly since I arrived. The food here is simply tastier because there is sun - a tomato in a supermarket in Belgium has no taste, but a tomato in Israel has a rich taste." When asked about his favorite foods, he mentioned the Shabbat meals he was invited to, and especially praised the Moroccan fish and falafel. In conclusion, the ambassador noted that his favorite word in Hebrew is "Yofi" (beauty), and added that the main souvenir he will take with him at the end of his term from Israel is a "Hamsa" pendant against the evil eye.
"Believe in two states. Hamas will have no role in Gaza"
In an interview with the ynet studio last December, he said that "our position is clear, we believe that within the framework of the two-state solution in the future, a Palestinian state must be established." Mann noted that the body that unites the continent's countries does not have a specific position regarding the decision of the countries that recognized a Palestinian state, but reiterated: "It is clear that in a final peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, a Palestinian state will be required that will live in peace alongside Israel in security."
He addressed then the preparations for the progress of the deal in Gaza, and said that "there is and cannot be any role for Hamas - not in security, not in governance, not in any field - in the future of Gaza. We believe that in the future, when the time comes, the Palestinian Authority should control the entire Palestinian territory - including the West Bank and Gaza. But as I said, there is a reform process taking place. We conditioned the money we transfer to the Authority on the implementation of these reforms as a motivating factor." He added that "Hamas must be completely disarmed. What they did on October 7, since then and in the past, is unacceptable. Hamas is an illegal terrorist organization and is defined as such in the European Union and in all our countries. We have imposed additional sanctions on Hamas financiers. We are already training Palestinian police in the West Bank, and we have offered to train a much larger number of Palestinian police, so we hope to ensure stability in Gaza."
