Israel from space
Israel from spaceJessica Meir/NASA

American-Israeli astronaut Jessica Meir last weekend released three images of the State of Israel and its surroundings taken by the International Space Station where she has been staying since September.

Meir is a daughter of a Jew who immigrated from Iraq to Israel in the 1940s, fought in the IDF during the War of Independence, and later emigrated to Sweden for medical studies.

In Sweden, the father met a Swedish Christian woman, married her, and the couple had five children, Jessica being the youngest. The family has since settled in the US and 41-year-old Jessica has become an astronaut over the years. The mission she now participates in is her first space mission.

Meir posted the images in a Twitter post, writing: "My father's globe spanning journey as a surgeon from the Middle East, to Europe, and eventually to the U.S. was an inspiration to many in my immediate and extended family."

President Rivlin re-tweeted Meir's tweet Sunday morning and wrote, "Dear Jessica, thank you for taking us with you on a space trip. We are proud of you and extend our warmest regards from our Israel."