Actress, producer and activist Noa Tishby will be Israel’s special envoy for fighting antisemitism and delegitimization, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid announced on Monday.
I’m proud to name @NoaTishby as the first-ever @IsraelMFA Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism & the Delegitimization of Israel. In this new role, Noa will be a powerful voice in the fight against the rising tide of hate directed at Jews and the State of Israel. pic.twitter.com/PJo4ZphMIt
— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) April 11, 2022
In her new, unpaid position, Tishby will represent Lapid “in all circles of influence” in the battle against antisemitism and delegitimization, including international forums dealing with the topic, the foreign minister’s spokesman said.
Tishby is meant to work with Israel’s partners on this front and bring in new audiences and organizations, as well as respond to acts of antisemitism around the world.
“Noa Tishby’s appointment as special envoy for fighting antisemitism is another step that will strengthen us internationally,” Lapid said. “Tishby brings experience and a different approach to the topic. I am sure she will make a great contribution to Israel’s strength in the world.”
In the US, the position of antisemitism envoy has been elevated to the level of ambassador, which requires cabinet approval. The current US envoy is Deborah Lipstadt, an internationally known historian and expert on the Holocaust and antisemitism.
Tishby, 44, will not be a government employee, and her appointment does not need to be authorized by the cabinet.
She is best known in Israel for starring in the 1990s soap opera Ramat Aviv Gimmel, and for being the first person to sell an Israeli television show to be adapted in the US: In Treatment to HBO. She became increasingly involved in Israel advocacy after moving to Los Angeles, and last year published the book Israel: a Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth.
The Foreign Ministry said that Tishby “has proven experience in giving lectures and briefings on fighting delegitimization and antisemitism… is in close contact with very central factors in Jewish communities in the US, and influential figures among democrats and progressives with influence in the federal, state and local government and in Congress. Tishby ‘speaks’ the contemporary language to a younger audience, among others, and uses the medium [of social media] correctly.”