A native of Allentown, Pennsylvania, James B. Cunningham has served as US ambassador to Israel since August 18, 2008. Cunningham graduated magna cum laude from Syracuse University, with degrees in political science and psychology. He speaks Italian, French and Spanish.

 

After early tours in Stockholm, Washington, Rome and the US Mission to NATO, he served as chief of staff to NATO Secretary General Manfred Woerner.

 

Just after Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, Cunningham became deputy political counselor at the US Mission to the UN. From 1993 to 1995, he served as director of the State Department’s Office of European Security and Political Affairs. He served as deputy chief of the US Embassy in Rome from 1996 to 1999.

 

Cunningham then served as ambassador and Deputy US Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1999-2004) and Acting Permanent Representative from January to September 2001. He was US Consul General in Hong Kong, responsible for the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions of China before becoming ambassador to Israel.

 

Cunningham holds the rank of career minister in the Foreign Service. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Asia Society.

 

James B. Cunningham’s  Official Bio