Israel: U.S. Did Not ‘Summon’ Oren
The U.S. State Department did not summon Israel’s ambassador for a special meeting on building in Jerusalem, Israeli officials said.
The officials told JTA that Michael Oren’s meeting last week was a routine “getting to know you” meeting for the new ambassador. They also said that the U.S. officials did raise U.S. objections to a project now under way in eastern Jerusalem.
News reports have described Oren as having been “summoned” to the meeting to discuss the building in the Palestinian Sheik Jarrah neighborhood.
On Monday, Oren formally presented his credentials to President Obama.
“Ambassador Oren thanked President Obama for his friendship and support for the State of Israel, and expressed optimism that the strong ties between Israel and the United States can be further strengthened,” an Israeli Embassy statement said.
A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism so that we can be prepared for whatever news 2025 brings.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
