Houda Nonoo

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Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo
Bahraini ambassador to the United States
In office
3 July 2008 – 15 November 2013
Succeeded byAbdullah bin Mohammad bin Rashed Al Khalifa
Majlis al-shura
In office
2005 – 3 July 2008
Succeeded byNancy Khedouri
Personal details
Born (1964-09-07) 7 September 1964 (age 59)
SpouseSalman Idafar
ChildrenMenasheh Idafar, Ezra Idafar
RelativesMisha Nonoo (cousin)
ResidenceManama (Bahrain)

Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo (

Jew, and third woman, to be appointed ambassador of Bahrain. She is also the first Jewish ambassador of any Middle Eastern Arab country,[1][2][3] and the first female Bahraini ambassador to the United States.[4]

Biography

Nonoo was born in

Jewish business entrepreneurs with origins in present-day Iraq. Nonoo's grandfather Ibrahim left Baghdad in 1888 and started a financial business in Bahrain.[5][6][7]

Nonoo lived for an extended period of time in the United Kingdom, where she attended Carmel College, a Jewish boarding school,[8] and earned an MBA. She also met and married Salman Idafar,[9] a British Jew, with whom she had two sons; Menasheh and Ezra. After her father died in a car accident, she returned to Bahrain to take over the Basma Company,[10] a company offering different office services, from IT[11] to janitoring, hence becoming a successful businesswoman after inheriting the family's business.[12]

Prior to her appointment to the

parliament. The Nonoo family is originally from Iraq having moved to Bahrain over a century ago.[16]

Appointment as ambassador to the United States

On 3 July 2008, Nonoo was appointed Ambassador of the

Radio Canada reported that her nomination was controversial within Bahrain, with some suggesting that a Jew might not be the best choice to defend Bahrain's refusal to recognise Israel. King Al-Khalifa rejected these concerns.[1]

During her term as ambassador, she made quite a few changes at the embassy, like changing the iftar from all-male gatherings to mixed-gender events with lectures on Islam and also introduced and interfaith reunions with local imams, rabbis and Christian clergy as guests.[9]

Her role ended in November 2013, when she was replaced by Abdullah bin Mohammad bin Rashed Al Khalifa, until then the military attaché of Bahrain in Washington.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Bahreïn persiste et signe", Radio Canada, June 8, 2008
  2. ^ a b "Une juive ambassadrice d'un pays arabe", Radio Canada, May 31, 2008
  3. ^ "Bahrain names Jewish ambassador". BBC News. 2008-05-30. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  4. ^ "Bahraini king taps Jewish woman lawmaker as envoy to U.S." Haaretz. 2008-06-08. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
  5. ^ Menachem Wecker, "The Arab World’s Jewish Ambassador", George Washington Today, February 1, 2010.
  6. ^ "Meet Arab nation's Jewish ambassador". baltimoresun.com. 26 October 2009.
  7. ^ Nora Boustany. "Barrier-Breaking Bahraini Masters Diplomatic Scene", The Washington Post, December 19, 2008.
  8. ^ Round, Simon (4 December 2008). "Interview: Houda Nonoo". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  9. ^ a b Bahrain protests have complicated job for Houda Nonoo, first Jewish ambassador from an Arab nation. The Washington Post
  10. ^ "Meet Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo, First Jewish Ambassador from Arab Country". jewishbusinessnews.com. 7 December 2014.
  11. ^ Message from the Director. Gulf Computer Services
  12. ^ "Meet Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo, Bahrain's Jewish U.S. Ambassador". Haaretz. 14 March 2011.
  13. ^ Houda Nonoo Archived 2016-08-21 at the Wayback Machine. Wise Muslim Women - Women of other Faiths
  14. ^ "Arab Spring, Israel and Bahrain's 38 Jews in the eyes of Jewish ambassador to U.S." Jewish News Service. Archived from the original on 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
  15. ^ Nancy Elly Khedourie, From Our Beginning to Present Day (Al Manar Press: 2007) p. 78
  16. Walla!
    . 6 December 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
  17. ^ "Bahrain picks Jew as U.S. envoy, local media critical". Reuters. 2008-05-08. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
  18. ^ Chief, Habib Toumi, Bureau (15 November 2013). "Bahrain appoints new ambassador in Washington". gulfnews.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

External links

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