US Senate Confirms Lew as Ambassador to Israel

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Facts

• The US Senate on Tuesday voted 53-43 to confirm former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew as the new ambassador to Israel.¹
• Lew's confirmation garnered the support of all Democrats and two Republicans — Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.²
• The post had been open for months, but there was more urgency to fill it now that the US is supporting Israel in its war against the Hamas militant group.²
• Lew — nominated by Pres. Joe Biden in September — led the Office of Management and Budget during the Clinton and Obama administrations, and he was White House Chief of Staff during Obama’s term before taking over Treasury in 2013.³
• Republican opposition to Lew’s nomination mostly centered around his support for the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, a deal then-Pres. Donald Trump withdrew the US from in 2018.⁴
• Lew’s appointment comes not just while war is unfolding in the Middle East but also at a time when the US House is set to vote on a bill to provide $14B in aid to Israel. The Senate mostly opposes the bill because it also makes cuts to the IRS.⁵

Sources: ¹CBS, ²Forbes, ³BBC News, ⁴Washington Post and ⁵The hill.

Narratives

• Republican narrative, as provided by Breitbart. Lew isn't the right fit for this post, and his confirmation demonstrates Democrats aren’t taking Israel’s security seriously. He showed his sympathy to Iran by playing a key role in the weak nuclear deal that freed up money for Tehran — which it used to fund Hamas — and was opposed by Israel. It's a slap in the face to send him to be ambassador to one of America’s greatest allies.
• Democratic narrative, as provided by NBC. Republicans' accusations against Lew are meritless. Lew recognizes how much of a threat Iran is to stability and the Middle East, but he also knows the Iran nuclear deal made the world safer until Trump pulled out of it. Even Israeli officials have voiced their approval of Lew, who will fight to maintain Israel’s security.