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Together, we are changing history: Bahrain's Ambassador Houda Nonoo

Dubai - Neither our gender, nor the religion we practice, has ever restricted the opportunity of any Bahraini to succeed

In honour of International Women’s Day being observed on Monday (March 8), Khaleej Times sat down with Bahrain’s Ambassador, Her Excellency Houda Nonoo, the first Jewish ambassador to be appointed from an Arab country and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member country's first female ambassador to the United States (US). Ambassador Nonoo had served as Bahrain’s Ambassador to the US from 2008 to 2013 and continues to serve in the country's Foreign Ministry as an envoy.

Excerpts from an exclusive interview:

Tell us about your time in the US?

It was an honour to serve His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa and the Kingdom of Bahrain as its Ambassador to the US and non-resident Ambassador to Argentina, Brazil, Canada and Mexico.

During my time as the Ambassador, I was involved in interreligious dialogue and hosted many events bringing people together from different religious and ethnic backgrounds.

I had arrived in Washington D.C. just a few months before Ramadan in 2008. In my first Ramadan, I was told that the weekly ghabga, or a meal at late night, was for males only. In the last week of that year's Ramadan, I decided to attend the ghabga, much to the chagrin of the diplomats and found men sitting in a very boring setting. I vowed that the next Ramadan would be different, and I started hosting inter-faith iftars at the Embassy and welcoming people from different religions to learn about the importance of Ramadan in Islam and also to learn about Bahrain.

Many participants were amazed to find that the Ambassador representing Bahrain was a woman and could not fathom how I could be Arab and Jewish at the same time. For me, as well as for most Bahrainis, it doesn’t seem out of the ordinary. Neither our gender, nor the religion we practice, has ever restricted the opportunity of any Bahraini to succeed.

How did your fellow Ambassadors from the GCC states receive you as a Jewish Ambassador in Washington?

They received me with open arms as the Bahraini Ambassador because we shared a common bond, we were all ambassadors from the GCC countries and our allegiance to our region was our top priority.

You were part of Foreign Minister H.E. Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani’s delegation to Washington for the signing of the Abraham Accords in Washington D.C.; on September 15, 2020. Could you describe what it was like sitting there and watching history unfold before your eyes?

It was truly remarkable, and I was honoured to have had a front row seat to history. In many ways – as a Bahraini and as a Jew – that day left an indelible mark. There was excitement and enthusiasm in the air, as we all gathered knowing that we were privileged to be there – a moment that would always be known as a paradigm shift in the Middle East. It was a moment that will be in school books and one which we will all tell our children and grandchildren about. I, like my fellow Bahraini citizens, appreciate the opportunity our leaders have seized and the promise it represents to build a better life with security and opportunity for all of us and for future generations still to come.

In November, 2020, you had visited Israel twice. Those were your only two visits to Israel. Describe those experiences and share a highlight from those trips?

My first trip to Israel was in November 2020, when I had the honour and privilege of participating in a delegation led by Foreign Minister His Excellency Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani. I can only describe it by saying that my dream had become a reality. As you know, I was the first Jew to ever be appointed as an ambassador of Bahrain and the first woman to serve as Bahrain’s Ambassador to the US. During my five years in Washington D.C., I made many new friends and was often asked if I had been to Israel. I always said, “not yet.” In my heart, I hoped and prayed for the opportunity, but I was determined to wait for the moment when circumstances would allow such a visit. As a loyal and committed citizen of Bahrain, I naturally respected the reality of the situation. I could only dream but finally, that dream became a reality and it was everything I had anticipated and more.

That first trip was a whirlwind as we were only on the ground for less than 12 hours. I left with a feeling of such excitement and hoped to come back and visit again soon. Little did I know that within a week, I would be back for a second time.

During the first trip, I was honoured to be asked to participate in a meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. During the meeting, His Excellency, the Foreign Minister, gave me the opportunity to brief President Rivlin about the indigenous Jewish community of Bahrain and I invited him to the opening of our synagogue which will hopefully happen shortly, Covid-19 permitting. I also had the privilege of meeting President Rivlin during my second trip.

Your family traces its origin to Iraq and from there they had moved to Bahrain.

Yes, my grandparents came from Iraq to Bahrain in the late 1880s, and I am the second generation born in Bahrain.

What's it like growing up as a Bahraini Jew? You also hold the rare distinction of being part of the only indigenous Jewish community in the GCC.

The Jewish community in Bahrain dates back about 140 years to the late 1800s, when a group of Iraqi Jews arrived in search of economic opportunities and a better lifestyle. Many of the Jewish families were traders and started their own businesses such as money exchange, textiles and electronics. Others worked for the oil companies, banks and schools.

Since then, the Jewish families have lived alongside Muslim families and we are part of the fabric of Bahraini society.

We are proud to be the only indigenous Jewish community in the Gulf and to have the oldest synagogue in the region as well as the only operating or functioning Jewish cemetery. Our synagogue is under renovation and is slated to open in the next few months. It will operate both as a synagogue for prayers and a Jewish museum — the first of its kind in the Gulf.

I was born and raised in Bahrain. Growing up in Bahrain, everyone knew we were Jewish. I went to a Catholic school and was taught by nuns. My friends were from different religious backgrounds and we grew up respecting each other’s differences. I never felt the need to hide my religion. We celebrated together our major festivals such as Ramadan, Hanukkah, Diwali and Christmas.

Many of your family members had attended Carmel College, which is an international Jewish boarding school at South Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom (UK)?

My brother and I were the first Bahrainis to attend Carmel College. My cousin followed us three years later. Carmel College was a Jewish boarding school that had unfortunately closed in 1996. It was based at Wallingford in Oxfordshire, UK.

Your family is in the computer services business. When and how did you decide to join the Shura Council as you were a successful businesswoman by then?

I was appointed by His Majesty, King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa to the Shura Council in 2006 and was on the committee of Finance and Economic Affairs until I was appointed Ambassador to the United States. The Shura Council (the consultative council) is the Upper House of the National Assembly, which is the main legislative body of Bahrain. It comprises 40 members.

Tell us about your work with the Bahraini Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS).

After many years working in the private sector, I helped found the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society in 2004 and became its Secretary General in 2005. After working through the organization on a number of important issues – such as women’s rights and the conditions of migrant workers in Bahrain – His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa appointed me to serve in Bahrain’s upper house of Parliament, the Shura Council, in 2006. I served on the committee of Finance and Economic Affairs.

How is the Bahraini Society different from the rest of the GCC member states and the wider Arab world?

Under His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s leadership, Bahrain has been committed to spreading the culture of peace, dialogue, and coexistence in its domestic and international dealings. These values of tolerance and coexistence are something that is ingrained within us as children. While many in the Gulf have recently partaken in different tolerance initiatives, this is something that is part of our very core and was imbued in us from a young age.

In June 2019, Bahrain hosted the White House’s Peace to Prosperity Workshop, which brought many Jews to the Kingdom. What was that experience like for you?

We were very excited to welcome everyone for the conference and received many requests to see our synagogue and Jewish cemetery. Since there were so many Jews who came in for the event, we were able to host the first minyan – a prayer quorum of 10 men – in decades in our synagogue. That was a very exciting moment for our community and for the broader Jewish community around the world who shared the videos, photos and articles from that historic minyan.

I’m sure that Jews from around the world have reached out following the signing of Abraham Accords. Have they started to come visit?

It has been six months since the historic announcement from Bahrain and Israel and not a day goes by without Jews from around the world reaching out about upcoming trips or letting us know that they have arrived. Over Hanukkah, we participated in many online menorah lightings with communities in the US and Europe. We have spoken with a plethora of Jewish tour operators who are planning to bring tourists groups in the coming months. There is a euphoria that has spread following these announcements and we are looking forward to welcoming all of the Jewish tourists to Bahrain.

How will Bahrain and the wider region transform following the signing of the Abraham Accords? How does the future look?

While 2020 was historic for Bahrain and Israel, 2021 will be even better as we feel its influence in the business, healthcare, education, travel and tourism sectors. Recently, Israel’s two largest banks, Bank Hapoalim and Bank Leumi, signed several memoranda of understandings (MoUs) with the National Bank of Bahrain. These new partnerships will make banking transactions possible for customers in both countries as new economic opportunities arise.

However, the Abraham Accords were not just signed for economic reasons but also because our leaders – His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – had the bold vision to advance the horizons of stability and prosperity in the Middle East, one built upon warm peace and creating opportunities for the next generation. Together, we are changing history. We are doing this for our children, because by inculcating the lessons of peace and tolerance within them now, they will grow up to be the future political and business leaders of the next generation – and they will not know of the chasm that previous generations faced. As our Bahraini children start to learn about Judaism and Israeli culture in their schools and Israeli children learn more about Islam and Gulf culture in theirs, they will carry these lessons with them as they grow to lead this powerful region. The Abraham Accords are the beginning of a new era for our region, and we are all excited about it.