North Macedonian MP pays parliamentary visit to Israel

When North Macedonian MP Rashela Mizrahi looks for a phrase to explain how a small, multi-ethnic Balkan state can live with differences without tearing itself apart, she reaches for two Turkish words: “bashka” and “barabar” - separate, yet together.

For Mizrahi, the two words embody how the small Balkan country’s Jewish community exists - as part of the nation but also separate as Jews. It is also partly why North Macedonia understands Israel’s “security realities” in a way that Mizrahi believes many European capitals no longer do, and why she came to Jerusalem last week at the head of a parliamentary delegation meant to demonstrate support for Israel and open the door to deeper cooperation.

“The stay was phenomenal,” she told The Jerusalem Post as the delegation prepared to fly home. “Every meeting was phenomenal.”

The visit was billed as a first-of-its-kind parliamentary delegation from North Macedonia to Israel, chaired by Mizrahi in her capacity as chair of the Israel–North Macedonia Parliamentary Friendship Committee, with logistical support from the American Jewish Committee (AJC).

Mizrahi, who holds a PhD in Biochemistry of Andrology, is a veterinarian by profession and a member of the right-wing VMRO-DPMNE party. She also holds a distinctive place in her country’s political history: she was the first Jewish minister of North Macedonia.

North Macedonia's parliamentary delegation meets with Israel Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar. MP Rashela Mizrahi (third from left) led the mission, and was the coutnry's first Jewish minister.