Jack Lew confirmed as ambassador to Israel as the country's war rages on with Hamas

Rachel Looker, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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WASHINGTON − The United States now has a designated ambassador to Israel after the Senate voted Tuesday to confirm Jack Lew to the critical post.

The Senate voted to approve Lew's nomination 53-43. Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky were the only Republicans to vote in favor of Lew's nomination.

Democrats have pushed to confirm Lew as soon as possible as war rages on between Israel and Hamas, but Lew hasn't faced a seamless path to the ambassadorship.

The confirmation follows a rocky nomination hearing, where Senate Republicans claimed Lew is not the right fit for the job, citing his past record as Treasury secretary under former President Barack Obama and director of the Office of Management and Budget in former President Bill Clinton's administration.

But the Senate Foreign Relations Committee moved the nomination out of committee last week along party line votes, with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., the only Republican to vote alongside Democrats in favor of Lew's nomination.

More: U.S. one step closer to nominating Israeli ambassador after Senate committee advances Lew

Republicans also pointed to Lew's role in supporting the Obama administration's negotiations during the Iran nuclear deal and claimed Lew was not transparent and misled the committee regarding transferring money to Iran's regime as Treasury secretary.

The United States has not had a designated ambassador after Thomas Nides left the position over the summer. President Joe Biden nominated Lew for the role in September.

Jack Lew, President Joe Biden’s nominee to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel, testifies during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill October 18, 2023 in Washington, DC. Lew, a former Treasury Secretary under President Barack Obama, was nominated by Biden in September after former U.S. ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides left the position over the summer.

"We need this thing filled. The problem I have is it needs to be filled with the right person," Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, said during Lew's nomination hearing earlier this month. Risch serves as the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the need to confirm Lew "plain and irrefutable" on the Senate floor Tuesday morning.

"The Senate has now taken an extremely important step to support Israel," he said after the vote.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Senate confirms Jack Lew as Israel ambassador as war with Hamas rages