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Rasela MizrahiNorth Macedonian politician
Date of Birth: 24.11.1981
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Childhood and Education
Rasela Mizrahi was born on November 24, 1989, in Skopje, SFR Yugoslavia. Her parents, Viktor and Liliana Mizrahi, were Jewish, and she has a brother named Rahamim. Many members of her family perished in the Treblinka death camp during the Holocaust.
Mizrahi graduated from Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje and earned a doctorate in biochemistry from Bar-Ilan University in Israel. From 2007 to 2009, she worked as an assistant at the Department of Physiology at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
Political Career
Mizrahi joined the nationalist VMRO-DPMNE party in 2017. On January 3, 2020, she was appointed Minister of Labour and Social Policy, becoming the first Jew from North Macedonia to hold a ministerial position. However, her appointment was met with anti-Semitic attacks and comments, particularly from members of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia, prompting party leader Zoran Zaev to issue a public apology. Mizrahi had faced anti-Semitic attacks and a hostile political environment throughout her career, even prior to her appointment as Minister of Labour and Social Policy.
Scandal and Resignation
Mizrahi became embroiled in a scandal when she was photographed in front of a sign bearing the country's former name, Republic of Macedonia, instead of Republic of North Macedonia. Then-Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov received a note of protest from the Greek government, which considered this a violation of the Prespa Agreement. On February 15, 2020, the Assembly of North Macedonia voted to dismiss Mizrahi from her post by a vote of 62 to 26.
Parliamentary Election
In the June 2020 parliamentary election, Mizrahi was elected to the Parliament of North Macedonia. Among her current responsibilities is chairing the Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group North Macedonia-Israel.
