Here are the front-runners to be the new U.S. ambassador to Israel
President Joe Biden steps off Air Force One upon arrival at Des Moines International Airport in Des Moines, April 12, 2022. Photo by Getty Images
This article originally appeared on Haaretz, and was reprinted here with permission. Sign up here to get Haaretz’s free Daily Brief newsletter delivered to your inbox.
The Biden administration plans on announcing the next U.S. ambassador to Israel within the next several weeks and is deep in the vetting process of potential nominees, according to officials familiar with the matter.
The planned appointment is slated to occur less than two months after ambassador Tom Nides departed his post in Jerusalem after two years. However, it also comes at a time where U.S.-Israel ties are increasingly strained given the wide ideological rift between the Biden administration and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government.
Many officials within the administration and the U.S. Jewish community – as well as Middle East policy experts familiar with the administration’s thinking – thought Biden would wait until after the 2024 elections to nominate an ambassador due to the potential for Republican grandstanding on Israel. One official went so far as to warn of a potential “sh*tshow.”
The speed at which the administration is moving to replace Nides signals how much U.S. officials understand the need to have a sure-handed envoy with Biden’s full confidence to relay his messaging to Israeli officials.
“We have nothing to announce at this time,” a State Department spokesperson responded when asked about a potential nomination.
When it does come, the nomination is sure to set up a bruising confirmation process, as Republicans maintain holds on a significant number of State Department nominees due to Sens. J.D. Vance and Rand Paul’s concerns about progressive political ideology and COVID-19 research records, respectively.
“No one is questioning the qualifications of these career diplomats. They are being blocked for leverage on other unrelated issues. It’s irresponsible, and it’s doing harm to our national security,” said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken last month.
Given these considerations, the administration is likely to put forward a nominee who has good relations across the political aisle – and perhaps one who has already gained Senate confirmation for previous positions.
The U.S. president will also have to consider an additional set of factors since Nides’ appointment in 2021: the current state of affairs within Israel concerning the judicial overhaul; the ever-disappearing possibility of a two-state solution; and the administration’s efforts to push for Israeli normalization with Saudi Arabia.
The potential nominee – who is widely assumed to be a political nominee – is expected to be Jewish, and have close ties with the U.S. Jewish community and pro-Israel establishment. While this is not traditionally mandatory, it has become the de facto norm in recent decades.
The nominee will also be expected to carry a certain gravitas that a chargé d’affaires or a career foreign service officer would not, in order to demonstrate that they are a direct extension of the president himself and should be treated accordingly. This extends to the levels of engagement the administration will expect the ambassador to eventually undertake while on the ground.
Two-state advocates welcome
While the White House will undoubtedly aim to nominate someone with familiarity on Israel, it is likely that the nominee won’t be so enmeshed in the topic that they have a preexisting record that could complicate confirmation efforts or future relations on the ground with Israeli officials.
Furthermore, nominating someone with a notable reputation who is not a Middle East or Israel expert ensures that the White House and National Security Council will continue to steer regional policy – particularly since the Saudi normalization deal will only garner more attention as the administration draws closer to the election cycle.
Deep relationships with the Palestinians or an explicitly stated desire to actively pursue a two-state solution are not thought to be among White House concerns. This is consistent with the administration’s approach throughout its first term, operating under the pretense of conflict mitigation and undertaking small-scale confidence-building measures.
U.S. officials continue to maintain this policy despite unprecedented West Bank settlement expansion and the establishment of several new illegal outposts. Its efforts to build on Israel’s continued integration into the Middle East, meanwhile, have hit repeated roadblocks due to the far-right ruling coalition’s rhetoric and policies.
A number of names have been floated as potential short-list candidates that meet many, if not all, of the abovementioned parameters. These include former Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch, former congressmen Steve Israel and Robert Wexler, and retiring Sen. Ben Cardin – all of whom are Jewish men.
According to leading U.S. Jewish officials close to the process, the final short list does not include any women, despite significant efforts from many to push the administration to make a historic appointment given its stated commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Among the women apparently under consideration were Rep. Kathy Manning, a favorite of the pro-Israel establishment who will face a heated reelection bid next year, and Susie Gelman, the Jewish philanthropist and former Israel Policy Forum board chair who was recently appointed to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
There is also the potential for a dark horse candidate, though that appears less likely at this stage.
Considering the vetting process’ traditional intensity and thoroughness, along with the time frame under which the administration is operating, it could very well be that the choice has already been made.
Stephanie Hallett, a highly respected diplomat with a deep familiarity with the greater Middle East, will continue to serve as chargé d’affaires ad interim until the nominee is confirmed.
She will be tasked with navigating the tightrope of U.S.-Israel relations, including a fast-approaching September 30 deadline to determine whether Israel obtains entry into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program; a series of upcoming Supreme Court hearings pertaining to the judicial overhaul; and the possible escalation of tensions between Israel and the Palestinians.
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