Israel Needs US Ambassador, but GOP Bridles at Biden Nominee's Iran Record

The Senate returns this week following a week-long state work period, its first time in session since the attack on Israel. Among the upper chamber's top priorities will be advancing President Joe Biden's pick for ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, whose nomination hearing will take place on Wednesday.

Lew, who served as White House chief of staff and then later as secretary of the Treasury under former President Barack Obama boasts years of government experience dating back to the Clinton administration. However, that experience could come back to harm his chances for a speedy approval of his nomination.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas accused Lew of being an "Iran sympathizer who has no business being our ambassador" during an appearance on Fox News Sunday.

"I know Democrats are saying that we need to confirm Jack Lew quickly to show our support for Israel," Cotton said. "I would say it's the exact opposite. We need to defeat Jack Lew's nomination to show that we have a new approach to Iran."

Cotton's Sunday criticisms centered around Lew's support of the Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the JCPOA, which incentivized the country to denuclearize in exchange for sanction relief, as well his defense of the Obama Administration decision not to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution that demanded a halt to all Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The opposition of Cotton and other Republicans could result in a vote on Lew's nomination being delayed.

Thirteen other Republican lawmakers have recently voiced concern about the Biden Administration's approach to Israel, signing a July 11 letter criticizing the White House for terminating scientific and technological cooperation with institutions operating in the disputed West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Golan Heights areas.

The letter said that without a reversal to such policies, "Congressional oversight and the expeditious vetting of nominees would become intractable."

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, a vocal Israel supporter and defense hawk, was a signee on the letter. However, he struck a less combative tone than Cotton when asked about his support for Lew's nomination.

"I'm looking at his record. I know Jack, I like him. We'll see," Graham told Newsweek. "There're some concerns about evading Iran sanctions."

With the House still without a speaker, the confirmation of ambassadors, a job done by the Senate, is one of the few actions Congress can accomplish until the speaker position is filled. While the U.S. embassy can still provide diplomatic support in the region under the leadership of Acting Ambassador Stephanie Hallett, that role is limited.

Newsweek contacted Lew for comment, and was told by his spokesperson that "he is not commenting to the press while he is in the confirmation process." However, Senate Democrats were quick to offer their support and express the importance of moving Lew's nomination forward.

"You hesitate to say this because as soon as you say this then something else really flips it, but it couldn't be worse," Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, told Newsweek regarding a hold-up of Lew's nomination. "I think he's very well-qualified for the position, and he's been to Israel often in his capacities with Treasury and [the State Department] in the past."

Biden nominated Lew, who is Jewish, for the ambassadorship on September 5, 2023. The Jerusalem Post reports that he speaks Hebrew and has relatives who live in Israel. Lew's former boss, then-National Security Advisor Sandy Berger said that Lew's faith never got in the way of the fulfillment of his duties.

His nomination was met with support from Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen, who welcomed Lew in a September 5 tweet saying, "We look forward to working with you in the spirit of our close cooperation and alliance."

Democratic Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters on Monday that he believes Lew will have enough support to have his nomination advance through the committee for a vote on the Senate floor.

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who chairs the Foreign Relations subcommittee that oversees affairs in the Middle East, offered some optimism as well, saying the committee is making progress. He also stressed that other important nominations that the Senate must act on remain stalled in strategically important countries, including Lebanon, Egypt, and Oman.

"Senate Republicans are not exactly covering themselves in glory by holding up these really important nominees," he told Newsweek. "There're multiple holds on some of these nominees, and we spent the weekend trying to find a path forward, not just on Jack Lew, but on the other nominees, and we're slowly but surely making progress."

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