Rahm Emanuel, pictured in August 2021 at Fox Business Network studios in New York City. (Steven Ferdman/Getty Images)

(JTA) — President Joe Biden has nominated Rahm Emanuel to be the next ambassador to Japan.

Emanuel, who was Chicago’s mayor from 2011 to 2019, previously served as a congressman and Barack Obama’s White House chief of staff. He has attracted opposition from progressives due to how he handled the 2014 police killing of Laquan McDonald, a Black teenager.

“I would proudly represent our nation with one of our most critical global allies in one of the most critical geopolitical regions,” Emanuel said in a statement Friday, according to the Washington Post. “Our Ambassadors to Japan have a long history of distinguished public service from both parties and I am humbled to follow so many statesmen who have served in this role.”

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Emanuel, whose father was Israeli, attends an Orthodox synagogue in Chicago, Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel. One of his brothers is Ari Emanuel, a Hollywood agent who inspired a character in the HBO show “Entourage,” and his other brother, Ezekiel Emanuel, is a prominent bioethicist.

His appointment is subject to confirmation by the Senate.

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The post Biden nominates Rahm Emanuel to be ambassador to Japan appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

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