David Kimche

David "Dave" Kimche (14 February 1928 – 8 March 2010 at Ramat HaSharon, near Tel Aviv, Israel) was a British-born Israeli diplomat, a deputy director of the Mossad and a spymaster. He was also a journalist early in his career. He was known for his involvement in the Iran-Contra affair.

Ambassador Kimche was also President of the Israel Council for Foreign Relations, and a member of the Steering Committee of the International Alliance for Arab-Israel Peace. He was also a member of the Board of Governors and of the Management Committee of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Board of Governors of the Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace in Jerusalem, and the Board of Directors of ‘Maariv’ newspaper in Tel Aviv and a member of the Executive board of the Peres Center for Peace.

Kimche was appointed Ambassador-at-large of the State of Israel in 1987 and has served a number of missions, especially in Arab countries. Prior to this appointment, he was Director-General at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem from 1980 to 1987. Until 1980 he served as Senior Official in the Prime Minister's Office and has thus served in a number of postings in Africa, Asia and in Europe.

In 1989, Kimche founded the Israel Council on Foreign Relations under the auspices of the World Jewish Congress to serve as a policy forum for visiting dignitaries and scholars.

In addition to holding a M.A.(cum laude) and a Ph.D. in International Relations from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Mr. Kimche also attended courses at the Centre de Hautes Etudes Administratives sur l’Afrique et l’Asie Modernes (C.H.E.A.M.) of the University of Paris.

David Kimche was born in England and emigrated to Israel at young age. He served as an officer in the Israeli army and was wounded in one of Israel’s wars. He was the author of a number of books on the Middle East and on the developing world, and of numerous articles in academic journals and in Israeli and in the international press.

Kimche's birth was registered in Hampstead, London between January and March 1928, with his mother's maiden name given as Palast.

Kimche died of brain cancer at his home in Ramat Hasharon on 8 March 2010 at the age of 82.