Jack Lew nominated as next US ambassador to Israel
Current Ambassador Nides announced his resignation in May
United States President Joe Biden nominated former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew as the next U.S. ambassador to Israel, Israeli media reported on Tuesday.
Biden's decision speaks to the seriousness with which he sees the relationship with Israel, as the nomination will undergo a Senate confirmation process that may potentially harm his re-election campaign in 2024, an anonymous source told the Times of Israel.
The post is vacant because America's current ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides, announced in May that he would step down from the job this summer in order to spend more time with his family members, who did not move to Israel with him.
Lew is an observant Orthodox Jew and had some involvement with Israel-related policy issues as deputy secretary of state and White House chief of staff.
However, Lew's professional expertise lies in the field of finances and budgeting, as he served as the U.S. secretary of the treasury and later became COO at Citigroup.
Following reports that Lew’s nomination was being considered by the Biden administration, the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) expressed its reservations about Lew.
Among other factors, the right-wing Jewish organization ZOA, cited Lew’s support for the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 which labeled Judaism’s holiest places as ‘occupied Arab land’ and Lew’s decision to send “planeloads with $1.7 billion of cash to Iran” during his term as treasury secretary.
Biden's decision comes shortly before the long-awaited meeting with Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City on Sept. 21.
The Biden administration took over seven months to officially invite Netanyahu, an unusually long time, widely seen as a snub and a ‘diplomatic slap in the face’ of Israel's premier.
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The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
