Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh to Become The Jewish Agency for Israel’s and The Jewish Federation’s First Druze Emissary
By Sam Cooper on June 22, 2021
Druze former Knesset member appointed Israeli emissary to Washington, DC and North American Campuses
Jerusalem, June 22, 2021 — The Jewish Agency for Israel and The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington today announced their collaboration to bring former Member of Knesset Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh (Yesh Atid/Blue and White), the first female Druze member of Israel’s legislature, to Washington, DC as a senior shlicha (Israeli emissary). She will also support Israel engagement efforts on North American college campuses working closely with Hillel International.
Kamal-Mreeh will be the first Druze senior shlicha to represent The Jewish Agency, joining the organization’s team of more than 2,000 shlichim (emissaries) stationed in over 60 countries and the 10 shlichim already working in the Greater Washington region. These representatives work within local communities to strengthen connections to Israel and facilitate Jewish social activism.
“Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh’s personal and professional journey make her a powerful embodiment of Israeli society’s diversity and complexity. We are thrilled that this unprecedented appointment will bring greater awareness regarding that diverse landscape to the United States as part of our efforts to strengthen understanding of Israel worldwide,” said Amira Ahronoviz, The Jewish Agency’s Director General and CEO. “This decision was made with the enthusiastic support of Isaac Herzog, our outgoing Chairman of the Executive and the State of Israel’s president-elect. This landmark step for The Jewish Agency has been in the works for quite some time, and we are delighted to see it happen through our strong partnership with The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.”