Knesset reporter to discuss Israel at local shul

Lahav Harkov, Knesset reporter for The Jerusalem Post, will give a behind-the-scenes look at the Israeli parliament at Temple Beth-El Mekor Chayim in Cranford on Monday, Dec. 8, at 8 p.m.

Lahav grew up in New Jersey before making aliya with her parents and sister at age 17. She earned degrees in political science and communications at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan. She has interviewed major figures from across the Israeli political spectrum. Top global news outlets, including the BBC, France 24, and Sky News, frequently invite Harkov to share her analysis of breaking news in Israel. 

Harkov said having relatives in the journalism field influenced her career path. “I wanted to be a reporter like my grandmother and aunt for as long as I remember, and I started reading the newspaper as a child.” Growing up with an Israeli mother, aunt, and grandparents, she said, “I was always especially interested in current events in Israel. I was in high school during the Second Intifada, and became very involved in Israel advocacy. 

“After I moved to Israel at age 17 — the summer of the Gaza disengagement — I did everything I could to become a journalist,” she said. “I interned, I blogged, and eventually I got a job for The Jerusalem Post’s website. 

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“When the job of Knesset reporter opened up,” she said, “I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do, because it really is the nerve center of the country. Nearly every newsworthy thing that happens in Israel ends up being discussed in the Knesset.

“As far as lecturing about Israeli affairs, I really see it as a continuation of the Israel advocacy work that was so important to me when I still lived in the United States, I realize that Jewish and Zionist communities outside of Israel are often thirsty for insider information and want to really understand what is going on in Israel.

“People in those communities, schools, and on college campuses are Israel’s best ambassadors in public diplomacy,” Harkov said, “so I’m proud to help teach and train people who love Israel to be able to defend it and discuss it in a knowledgeable, confident way.”

For more information about the event, which is cosponsored by Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, call 908-276-9231.