Noa Tishby named Israel’s first-ever Special Envoy for Combating Anti-Semitism

By JNS News Service 

Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid has appointed Israel’s first Special Envoy for Combating Anti-Semitism and the Delegitimization of Israel, naming Israeli American artist and author Noa Tishby to the position.

Making the announcement on Monday in Jerusalem, Lapid said “the creation of this post and the appointment of Tishby is another step that will strengthen Israel and our fight against anti-Semitism internationally at a moment when Jews around the world once again face an alarming and dramatic resurgence in anti-Semitism.”

She is charged with raising awareness of delegitimization efforts against Israel, advocating against hate towards Jews and spearheading initiatives worldwide, according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

In 2011, Tishby founded Act for Israel, an online advocacy organization. In 2021, she wrote, “Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth.” The ministry described her as “a leading voice in the United States and abroad” in fighting anti-Semitism and anti-Israel delegitimization efforts.

She has been recognized as one of the “50 Most Influential Jews in the World” by The Jerusalem Post.

Tishby was born in Tel Aviv and served in the Israeli Defense Forces. She received a drama scholarship from the Tel Aviv Museum of Arts and appeared in popular Israeli TV, film and stage productions before establishing her film and television career in the United States as a producer, actor and writer.

“I can imagine no greater honor than representing the State of Israel to work to eradicate the rising threat of irrational and dangerous hate against Jews, bring anti-Semitism to the surface, and foster dialogue,” said Tishby. “The danger facing Jews and the State of Israel is more prevalent now than at any time since World War II and the Holocaust.”

A recent FBI report found that Jews are the target of 58% of religiously motivated hate crimes in America while making up just 2% of the population, the ministry said in announcing the appointment.

April 13, 2022 | 4 Comments »

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  1. @Ted
    Yes, I find her to be a very effective spokesman, and I particularly appreciate that she does not find herself restrained from demonstrating the lack of any independence in the media reportings. She is not the slightest bit restrained while simultaneously disposed toward honest and frank discussions, demonstrating the intelligence you reference with simple ease and to great effect.

  3. The 47-year-old Tel Aviv native, who isn’t a paid government employee, already had a hefty social media presence and has long complained about links between antisemitism and anti-Zionism. When announcing Tishby’s appointment, which wasn’t subject to cabinet approval, the Foreign Ministry highlighted Tishby’s connections with “influential figures among Democrats and progressives.”

    The precise job description for Tishby’s role wasn’t immediately clear, but it’s safe to assume that no one expected her, two months later, to go on a Fox News panel discussing media bias against conservatives, the DUI arrest of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband or Joe Biden’s age and its impact on his run for reelection in 2024.

    But that’s exactly what happened on Tuesday. Tishby was invited to the Fox show “Outnumbered,” not one of the right-wing network’s most popular programs, where the studio discussion focused on the media’s coverage of the DUI arrest of Paul Pelosi.

    The conservative pundits on the panel noted the time between the arrest and the release of Pelosi’s mug shot, suggesting that the delay had a political backdrop. They also mentioned Pelosi’s involvement in a car crash 60 years ago that led to the death of his brother, calling the event a political cover-up.

    Co-host Harris Faulkner said that Tishby’s “eyes went wide like saucers,” and that she had a “visceral reaction” to the stories about Nancy Pelosi’s husband. Tishby responded that “what we’re talking about is the obvious double standard that the media has about this story. The media has a double standard. There was an attempt to kill a Supreme Court judge that’s hardly been talked about in mainstream media, and I know this all too well as an Israeli.”

    She added: “This is not something that is only mainstream media when it talks about American issues. When it talks about Israel, which is the biggest ally of the United States, we’re seeing consistently double standards in the media.” She cited coverage of the war with Gaza a year ago and added: “It’s something that needs to be addressed and called out on whether it’s local, American or international topics.”

    On a later segment, Tishby responded to remarks about Biden’s disadvantages in running for reelection. “I don’t want to get into ageism because this is something as women – we understand this can be a problem. We’re not doctors,” she said, adding that “as a regular Joe, I am looking at gas prices and thinking to myself that this should be a problem Democrats should look into, as well as Republicans.”
    As she put it, “I bought a Prius because I thought I’m doing the right thing for the environment and for my wallet, honestly, and lo and behold, right now filling gas in a Prius is almost like filling gas in a Porsche.
    “This should be something that the Democrats are focused on and actually sell this to the people, to the American people. This is something that as an American citizen, I’m looking at it going, ‘Yes, give me, find me a solution: We can actually lower my gas price and my living expenses.’”
    …

    In her new role, Tishby has stressed left-wing criticism of Israel, calling the outrage after the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh an “antisemitic double standard.” Tishby has also criticized Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid for “demonizing the Jewish state “ for posting about a 14-year-old Palestinian boy arrested by Israeli forces.
    Tishby has also lambasted Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, author Alice Walker and U.S. lawmakers who have called for an investigation into Abu Akleh’s killing.     But she has not directly posted anything on antisemitism coming from right-wing extremists.

    https://archive.ph/25w5u