CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Midwest has a new consul general to Israel.

Chicago is Elad Strohmayer's third American diplomatic post. His goal is to build bridges with non-Jewish groups.

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As the war between Israel and Hamas rages on, Strohmayer says his job as the Midwest's new consul general of Israel is to remind Chicagoans why Israel is an important ally of the United States.

"We believe in same things: freedom, liberty, pursuit of happiness. Israel was founded on the same principles as the United States," Strohmayer said.

Born and raised outside of Tel Aviv, Strohmayer says his goal is to build bridges with non-Jewish groups, including with the Latino, African American and LGBTQ communities. The 44-year-old is openly gay. Strohmayer

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