JERUSALEM, January 9, 2014 (WAFA) - Alastair McPhail started Thursday his new job as British Consul General in Jerusalem succeeding Vincent Fean, who finished his term last week, according to a British consulate press release.

McPhail, who arrived in Jerusalem after two years in South Sudan, joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1994 where he worked in a wide range of positions, with a focus on political/military work, security, development and peace processes, especially in northern Iraq and Sudan, according to the press release.

McPhail said upon his appointment as Consul-General in Jerusalem that he was “very pleased to have the opportunity to work in this complex and fascinating region, to deepen the relationship between the Palestinian and British peoples, and to help international efforts to find a mutually acceptable, two-state solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.”

McPhail is married and has two sons.

M.S.