It took Knesset member Merav Michaeli a whole little war against stereotypes held by men (who thought they had priority over her) to gain a spot on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

The new Knesset member, who was well-known for the feminist struggles that she waged in the media arena, marked the most prestigious committee in Israeli politics — and also the most masculine — as a target for her to conquer. At first, it seemed like a gimmick. One year later, it seems like a very natural and appropriate appointment.

Michaeli is one of the hardest-working members of the Knesset. She makes a point of not missing a single discussion, carefully studies all the issues on the committee’s agenda, and when necessary initiates background meetings with senior members of the security forces. She meets frequently with foreign ambassadors and the representatives of legislatures around the world. And yet, at the same time, she also continues to promote her social, economic, feminist and diplomatic agenda.

Over the past few months, she joined other Knesset members for two meetings with the chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, at his office in Ramallah. When she began talking with Abbas in Arabic (she has been studying the language for the past seven years), the Rais invited her for a personal meeting. A photo of her with Abbas is on a shelf at her Knesset office. Michaeli’s interview with Al-Monitor was devoted to diplomatic, defense and political issues with which she is rarely identified.