Republican senators have expressed strong reservations over President Joe Biden’s choice for U.S. Ambassador to Israel, which has suffered a barrage of Hamas terrorist attacks since Oct. 7.
During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the nomination of former U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Oct. 18, Republicans cited his support for the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, a supporter of Hamas.
“Secretary Lew, I have reservations on your appointment as America’s ambassador to Israel,” said Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), the committee’s ranking member.
“Not only will you need to support Israel, as in response to these attacks, but also as it contends with the enduring and, indeed, existential Iranian threat, which I think is [an] underlying and foundational issue here.
“I have reservations about your ability to do that. You played a key role in supporting the Obama administration’s nuclear negotiations.”
Mr. Risch also claimed that when Mr. Lew came before the committee in 2015, he wasn’t transparent about cash going to Iran, as Mr. Lew said that money couldn’t be used for terrorist activities.
Mr. Risch accused Mr. Lew of lying to or, at least, misleading the committee.
A bipartisan Senate report alleged that the Treasury Department, under Mr. Lew, facilitated the transfer of funds to Iran through intermediaries.
The United States withdrew from the Iran deal in 2018, reimposed the sanctions that had been lifted under that deal, and implemented fresh sanctions on Tehran.
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) echoed Mr. Risch’s concerns about that testimony.
Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) cited Mr. Lew’s role in implementing the Iran deal, which included giving the Iranian regime sanctions relief.
Mr. Lew’s nomination was announced on Sept. 5, and if confirmed, he would succeed Tom Nides, who ended his ambassadorship on July 21.
“I will do my utmost to end the horrific attacks by Hamas and ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself. And I will spare no effort in working to help American citizens now captive to return home safely. And I will work to root out payments to terrorists and their families as rewards for their heinous crimes,” he testified.
“If confirmed, I will work to prevent other state or non-state actors from expanding this conflict to new fronts.
“And I will coordinate with the international community to address the humanitarian crisis facing innocent civilians in Gaza who are being used as human shields by Hamas.”
In apparently trying to alleviate concerns about his Iran stance, Mr. Lew made clear that Iran is a threat. He vowed to strengthen Israel in terms of security, its relationship with the United States, and in other ways. He also vowed to combat anti-Semitism.
Mr. Lew promised to bring U.S. hostages home, as it’s believed that there are numerous U.S. citizens being held hostage by Hamas. At least 31 Americans have been among the more than 4,500 people killed in the Hamas terrorist group’s recent attacks on Israel.
He said the United States shouldn’t negotiate with Iran at the moment, given the Hamas attacks, even though it would be good to have such an accord. In addition to taking hostages, Hamas has launched rockets from Gaza and invaded Israel, brutally attacking and killing civilians.
The attack on Israel was personal for him, Mr. Lew said.
“I cannot remember a time when Israel’s struggle for security was not at the forefront of my mind. I came of age in a family that combined belief in religious Zionism and labor Zionism,” he said, recalling the time when he was in a synagogue in Washington during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which Israel won after fighting a multifront attack from surrounding nations.
