The diplomatic community was shocked when US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, claimed alongside Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, “…I come as a Jew.” This broke diplomatic rules and norms which prohibit interjecting yourself, and your personal culture, while representing a nation and its interests.

Blinken explained he was raised by a step-father who was a holocaust survivor. These childhood memories of stories related to him of suffering and genocide in Europe became part of his identity.

Lt. Col. James Spencer Cleverly is a British politician and Army Reserve officer who has served as Foreign Secretary since 2022, and is Blinken’s counterpart.