Danny Ayalon was born in Israel in 1955. He completed his army service in the Armored Corps with the rank of Captain (res.). He has a B.A. degree in Economics as well as an M.B.A. Danny Ayalon served as Foreign Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, from March 2001 through July 2002, and as Israel's Ambassador to the United States, from July 2002 through November 2006. He has also served as a Member of the Executive Board, University Center, Ariel; Vice Chair of the Israel-America Chamber of Commerce, and a Board Member of the America-Israel Friendship League. He received the Brandeis Award of the Jewish Community of Baltimore in 2005 and the Builder of Jerusalem Award of Aish Hatorah in 2008. Danny Ayalon was elected to the 18th Knesset in February 2009 on the Yisrael Beitenu list and in April 2009 was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.