The former Blue and White and Yesh Atid MK Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh, who made waves in Israel when she became the first female Druze Knesset member, will now break even more barriers when she becomes the Jewish Agency’s first Druze emissary in Washington, where she will serve as a senior emissary focusing on connecting with students on North American college campuses about Israel.

One of the main tasks of the Jewish Agency for Israel has been to connect the Jews in the Diaspora to the State of Israel in addition to facilitating aliyah, a task, which has been taken over by Nefesh B’Nefesh in recent years with regard to immigration from North America in particular.

Kamal-Mreeh is set to work hand-in-hand with Hillel International and the Jewish Agency’s Israel Campus Fellows. Her work will involve prioritizing community building among young Jews, aged 18-35, across local Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) and the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA).

Kamal-Mreeh told Israeli media that “I am proud and excited to be a partner in bringing about this precedent-setting step, which will enable another Israeli voice to be heard, conveying the multifaceted reality of Israel to both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences throughout North America.

“I believe the time has come for all segments of Israeli society to be active partners in shaping global consciousness and that my unique identity as a woman from the Druze community will greatly contribute to my service, resulting in meaningful and innovative activities that will challenge and change perceptions,” she added.

“In the name of pluralism and diversity, we will work to connect, bridge, and emphasize what we have in common, for our country and for our future.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)