(JTA) — Fiamma Nirenstein, an Italian journalist and former parliamentarian, has been named Israel’s ambassador to Italy.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also serves as Israel’s foreign minister, announced the decision to appoint Nirenstein on Monday. Nirenstein, 70, who moved to Israel in 2013 and received citizenship, would assume the post next summer if approved.
Upon her appointment as ambassador to Italy, she will renounce her Italian citizenship, the Prime Minister’s Office in Israel said in a statement.
Nirenstein was elected to Italy’s Parliament in April 2008 as a member of the center-right People of Freedom ticket headed by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. During her tenure, she was outspoken in support of Israel and combating anti-Semitism.
She currently serves as a board member of the Jewish Community of Rome. Nirenstein is a member of European Friends of Israel and a founding member of the Friends of Israel Initiative. In 2011, she was elected chair of the International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians.
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