Israel Appoints First Muslim Diplomat

Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced a landmark on Wednesday with the appointment of its first Muslim diplomat to a posting abroad, The Times of Israel reported on Wednesday.

Rasha Atamny, 31, has been assigned to serve as first secretary of the Israeli embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara.

Atamny, who comes from the Arab town of Baqa al-Gharbiya in central Israel, is slated to take up the post once she finishes the final months of the ministry’s cadet course. She studied psychology at Hebrew University.

Atamny got her first taste of diplomacy when she represented Israel at the U.N. as a youth ambassador.

“From the three months I was at the U.N., one turning point will forever accompany me. One day, I sat at the Israeli seat as usual in the Human Rights Assembly Committee, and I listened with great interest to the discussion that took place — the violation of women’s rights,” she wrote.

She continued: “By this point, I had become used to hearing the series of charges against Israel from many countries on the council…” She had long been interested in the U.N., but this time she was forever struck by the shameless hypocrisy.

“This time I listened to the speeches from Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and Egypt condemning Israel’s ‘systematic violations of women’s rights’ while I, an Arab-Muslim woman of Palestinian origin represent Israel at the U.N. General Assembly,” she said.

“That day at the U.N., which made me desperately disappointed, pushed me to take the matter into my own hands,” she said. “I believe in peace because I believe that people can make a positive difference in the world, and I want to be part of the change. So I started by choosing to join the Foreign Ministry cadets course.”