The Senate confirmed Jack Lew as the new U.S. ambassador to Israel. The position had become vacant after the resignation of Thomas Nides in June and the nomination process took almost two months. The vote ended 53-43 in favor of the former Obama administration official, with all Democrats and two Republicans voting in favor. During the hearings, Republicans recalled his efforts in favor of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly called the Iran nuclear deal.
The now ambassador served as director of the Office of Management and Budget, secretary of the Treasury and chief of staff during the Obama administration, and now joins the Biden administration in a key position given the context of war between Israel and Hamas.
"With Israel fending off Hamas, this ambassadorship is as important and timely as any appointment the Senate has confirmed in a long time. Lew is the right man for the ambassadorship to Israel ... He is a capable public servant, a fierce ally of Israel and has a broad base of trust and respect, and he is a decent and humane man," said Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) after the vote.
53–43: Senate confirms former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew as U.S. ambassador to Israel.
Sens. Lindsey Graham (SC) and Rand Paul (KY) were the only Republicans to vote in favor. https://t.co/0BaEy9Ei2I pic.twitter.com/OnDxhBSeX4
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 31, 2023
"When my colleagues and I met with the Israeli government, we promised to send them an ambassador as soon as possible. And today the Senate has kept that promise. But it was clear when we went there that Israel needs a U.S. ambassador, especially right now," he added.
The Republicans who voted for Lew were Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Additionally, he received endorsements from the Jerusalem Post, the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee Ted Deutch .
'The wrong person for an important job'
These words were how Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) described the now ambassador during his confirmation hearings. According to the senator, Lew's past actions as a public official "have emboldened terrorist organizations around the world," so "the American people and the Israeli people both deserve something different."
"He helped negotiate the disastrous Iran nuclear deal. In fact, going around the stock market bragging about the flawed deal to the American people unlocked a huge amount of Iranian assets. It was also really an ATM for the Iranian Ayatollah and no one is going to forget the pallets of cash that went to Iran, which was the biggest state sponsor of terrorism. ... We know how they use money," he added.
