Druze, Bedouin diplomats wage PR war

[shira]

WASHINGTON – A Druze ambassador and a Bedouin deputy consul general have positioned themselves at the forefront of Israel's PR battle in the US.

Reda Mansour, Israel's consul general to the southeast US, and Ismail Khaldi, San Francisco's deputy consul general, have made round-the-clock appearances on television and radio interviews, published articles, and stood before Muslim protestors who accused them of traitorous behavior.

Mansour, 43, comes from Usafiya. He made history twice in Israel, by becoming the first minority member to be sent on a diplomatic mission, and the youngest ambassador ever to be sent overseas. At the age of 35 he became Israel's ambassador to Ecuador.

He was serving as consul in Atlanta when the fighting in Gaza broke out. "People joked that I should be given a bed at CNN," he recounted. "The first three days were very intense. I was at the studio from 6 am until late at night. There was a lot of curiosity and desire to cover it live… Our presence at the studio was a good thing."

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http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3660722,00.html