Title Economic Consul to the U.S. Midwest Company Israel’s Ministry of Economy Bio Yariv Becher is Israel’s Consul for Economic Affairs to the Midwest. He is responsible for maintaining trade relationships between Israel and the 13 states that make up the Midwestern region of the United States. Yariv heads the Government of Israel Economic Mission to the Midwest, tasked with for promoting investments in Israel, encouraging Israeli exports to the Midwest, fostering joint ventures between American and Israeli companies, and advancing opportunities for cooperation in commercial R&D. Yariv joined the Ministry of Economy in July 2008. He graduated the Ministry's trade cadet course and subsequently served as assistant to the Ministry’s Deputy Director General for foreign trade. Prior to joining the Ministry, Yariv worked at Check Point Software Technologies. He started at the finance department, where he headed the credit and collection team, and later moved to the sales operations department as partner manager. Between 2009 and 2010 Yariv was a committee member of the Ministry's "200x2" program, aimed at assisting companies from Israel’s peripheral regions to double their exports. He was also a member of the 2010 secretariat of the Kimberley Process, an international system aimed at the elimination of trade in "conflict diamonds". Yariv has a B.A. in History. Together with his wife, Yafit, Yariv has two daughters and a son.