King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa of Bahrain issued a royal decree appointing a female Jewish lawmaker to the post of ambassador, according to Bahrain's state news agency, making her the first Jew in the modern Arab world to become an ambassador.

Though Hoda Nono will likely become Bahrain's ambassador in Washington, her official position has not been announced. Nono, a businesswoman and head of the Bahrain Human Rights Watch, is also a mother of two.  She serves as one of two Jews on the king's 40-member Shura Council, the legislature's upper chamber.

Bahrain's Jewish community is tiny, comprising approximately 50 people.  The pro-Western Arab country is populated by approximately 500,000 people.