Former American Treasury Secretary, Jack Lew, is the leading candidate for the position of the US Ambassador to Israel, as reported today (Sunday) by the journalist Barak Ravid on the "Axios" network. Lew, aged 68, is an Orthodox Jew who observes the Sabbath and commandments. He previously served in various roles in the American government, including being the White House Chief of Staff during Barack Obama's presidency.
According to the report, the White House is currently conducting comprehensive background checks on Lew, in preparation for formally submitting his candidacy for approval by the American Senate. It is likely that the Senate hearing will take place in the coming weeks, as the Biden administration aims to expedite the appointment of the new ambassador so that he can work towards promoting an agreement with Saudi Arabia that will also involve normalization with Israel.
In the past, Lew has often stated that he is interested in being appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, following his role as a central liaison between the White House and the Jewish community in the United States during the Obama administration. He worked closely in collaboration with then-Vice President Joe Biden. Despite Lew's proximity to the President, a senior figure in the American government mentioned that at this stage, Biden has not yet made a final decision on who will be appointed to the ambassadorial position in Israel, and other candidates are still being considered.
As a reminder, the outgoing U.S. Ambassador Thomas Nides concluded his tenure in early July, and in the last month, Stephanie Hallett has been serving as the Acting Ambassador. In the past, Hallett served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassies in Oman and Cyprus, and in the past year, she held the position of Deputy to Nides at the Israeli Embassy.
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