Postponed from January due to speaker illness; we welcome our speaker in April!

I am an Israeli but not a Jew. I am an Arab but not a Muslim. I am a minority within a minority. My mother tongue is Arabic, my religion is Druze, and I am an Israeli citizen. Good luck! My name is Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh. I was the first non-Jewish anchorwoman to broadcast the main evening news in Hebrew and Arabic languages in Israel. I was the first Druze woman to become a Member of the Knesset. Today, I am the first non-Jewish Senior Envoy of the Jewish Agency of Israel to the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. I symbolize the diversity and complexity of Israeli society. My identity is a mixture of factors full of challenges and potential. My story is full of glass ceilings breaking. Come listen to my unique story and learn about the Druze people, the Arab minority, and Israeli society. 

Speaker Bio

Kamal-Mreeh, Senior Envoy of The Jewish Agency for Israel to The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, began working for the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation in 2011, where she hosted a program in Arabic focusing on the social and cultural issues concerning Arab youth in Israel. In 2015, Kamal-Mreeh was selected to host the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation’s daily newscast in Arabic, and in 2017 she began anchoring its main
Hebrew Saturday evening newscast, as well as a nightly newscast, becoming the first non-Jewish anchorwoman to broadcast a main evening news in Hebrew- language in Israel. 

In April 2019, Kamal-Mreeh was elected to the Knesset as a member of the Blue and White party, making history as the first Druze woman to become a Member of the Knesset. During her tenure, she chaired the Caucus for Planning, Zoning and Industrial Areas, and the Caucus for the Advancement of Druze Women. She was a member of the Interior and Environment Committee, the Advancement of Women’s Status and Gender Equality Committee, and of the special committee for fighting crime within the Arab sector. Kamal Mreeh co-chaired the Israel-Germany friendship group and chaired the Israel-Switzerland parliamentary friendship group.

Kamal-Mreeh holds a degree with honors from Bar-Ilan University in Medical Imaging and Social Sciences, and a master’s degree with honors in International Relations from Haifa University, specializing in negotiations and making decisions in international relations.

In 2021, Kamal Mreeh became the Jewish Agency’s first Druze emissary to the U.S. Based in Washington D.C.

Gadeer is a “Munich Young Leaders” Alumna and in 2021 was chosen by the “World Economic Forum” as one of the young global leaders. In the same year Gadeer was also awarded the knight of Government Quality by “The Movement for Quality Government in Israel”.

Kamal Mreeh was born and lived in the Druze village, Daliyat al-Carmel. She is married to Shadi and a mother of two children. Gadeer enjoys cooking, art, nature, and quality time with her family which is the key for her pure happiness.

In-Person Only

Please note: due to the sensitivity of the topics, this session will be held in-person only.