Netanyahu taps bereaved father Yechiel Leiter as US ambassador

When Yechiel Leiter's son fell fighting in Gaza last November, few imagined the former settler leader would soon become Israel's voice in Washington. Yet Netanyahu's surprise pick for ambassador signals major changes ahead in US-Israel relations.

Leiter's story reads like a novel. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he moved to Israel in 1978, eventually becoming a settler leader in Hebron and one of Netanyahu's trusted advisers. Now, after losing his son Maj. Moshe Yedidya in battle, he faces his biggest challenge yet - representing Israel in Washington just as Trump might return to power.

The timing isn't subtle. Leiter starts just as Trump could return to the White House, replacing current ambassador Michael Herzog. It's quite a change from Herzog, who was appointed by Netanyahu's rival Bennett and focused on smoothing tensions with Democrats.

Some worry about Leiter's right-wing background and ties to groups that pushed for judicial reform. But others see his personal tragedy as something that might help him bridge divides. "When you've lost a child defending Israel," one diplomat noted, "politics becomes less important than peace."

For now, Leiter's keeping quiet about his plans.

But with Trump's old ambassador David Friedman possibly heading back to Israel, US-Israel relations could soon look very different indeed.

JTA contributed to this article.