Avi Mayer, prominent pro-Israel activist, named editor of Jerusalem Post

Avi Mayer, a pro-Israel activist and communications professional with a large following on social media, has been named the next editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post.

Mayer, 38, will take over from Yaakov Katz, the current editor of the 90-year-old English-language newspaper, in mid-April, after Passover.

“I look forward to working with the Post’s outstanding staff to continue upholding the highest standards of journalistic excellence, to offer our readers content of relevance and quality, to fortify the paper’s position as a leading media outlet in Israel and the Jewish world, and to lead it into the future,” Mayer says in a statement, according to the Post.

Mayer, who was born in New York and lives in Jerusalem, comes to the role with a background in communications and online activism rather than journalism. He most recently served as the managing director of global communications and public affairs for the American Jewish Committee, and previously served as the spokesperson for the Jewish Agency for Israel. He also served in the spokesperson’s unit of the Israel Defense Forces. Before enlisting, Mayer briefly worked for Eretz Acheret, an Israeli magazine that has ceased publication.

But Mayer is perhaps best known for his presence on Twitter, where he has more than 140,000 followers; posts a mix of news updates, advocacy for Israel and pictures of freshly-baked challah; and has clashed with anti-Israel accounts.