Ismail Khaldi New Diplomat Mideast Advisor
April 20, 2009 by Renee Blodgett
Just announced, Avigdor Lieberman is appointing Ismail Khaldi as new diplomat Mideast advisor on regional issues.
Ismail, known as Ish to friends, was part of our Israel journey last April when we traveled and blogged our way through the country. He was the first Bedouin to join Israel’s Foreign Service and will be leaving his post as deputy consul in San Francisco for this new assignment.
His appointment is said to stem from Lieberman’s’ desire to appoint someone familiar with the complexities of the region who is also fluent in Arabic.
I had an opportunity to visit Ish’ Bedouin village in upper Galilee, which apparently has no electricity or running water, but that was not my experience. An interview done on-site with his father; an interesting tale.
Other appointments in the Foreign Ministry include Hagit Ben-Yaakov as Lieberman’s European advisor, Zeev Gur-Aryeh as his Russia and former USSR bloc advisor and Omer Caspi as his US advisor; all of whom will report to Naor Gilon, Lieberman’s chief of staff.
