Senate to Begin Confirmation Process for Biden’s Pick for Israel Envoy Amid War

U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew leads a meeting of the Financial Stability Oversight Council at the Treasury Department in Washington on April 13, 2016. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew is scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Oct. 18 for a hearing about his nomination to be U.S. Ambassador to Israel, which has come under attack by Hamas and Hezbollah over the past week.

President Joe Biden announced Mr. Lew’s nomination on Sept. 5. If confirmed, Mr. Lew would succeed Tom Nides, who ended his ambassadorship on July 21.

Republicans are already sounding the alarm about Mr. Lew’s nomination.

“As Obama’s Treasury Secretary, Jack Lew was a key figure in the disastrous Iran Nuclear Deal. Iran is the chief sponsor of Hamas. Jack Lew has no business being the US Ambassador to Israel,” Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Oct. 16.

“Jack Lew, Biden’s nom to be USAMB to Israel, was key point man in negotiations & disinfo campaign for Obama’s dangerously flawed deal w Iran. The consequences are felt today as Iran—flush w cash due to Biden’s push to revive the deal at any cost—has fueled carnage in Israel,” posted Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) on X, on Oct. 12. “Lew must answer for the failed Obama-Biden Middle East strategy as he appears before the Senate Foreign Relations committee for his confirmation hearing next week.”

“Jack Lew is an Iran sympathizer who has no business being our ambassador,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) told Fox News on Oct. 15. “It’s bad for the United States, it’s bad for Israel to have an Iran sympathizer as our ambassador to that country. He helped Iran evade American sanctions, and he lied to Congress about it.”

Mr. Lew, as the head of the Treasury under President Barack Obama, defended the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, simply known as the Iran nuclear deal, which gave Iran billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for taking steps to slow down its nuclear weapons program.

One month before the final 2015 agreement was reached, Mr. Lew defended the Obama administration pursuing a nuclear accord with Iran in the first place.

“We know that Iran has historically told the international community one thing while doing something very different. And since the outset of our negotiations, we have abided by a critical principle: distrust and verify,” he said at a conference hosted by The Jerusalem Post. “So through painstaking verification, we have made sure that the Iranians are keeping their commitments—allowing us to continue the talks knowing that Iran was not simply using negotiations as a form of smoke and mirrors.”

“The framework we have established paves the way for an international agreement between Iran and America, Britain, France, Germany, the EU, Russia, and China to stop Iran from obtaining the most dangerous type of weapon the world has ever known,” Mr. Lew said. “The region and the world will be a more dangerous place if we fail, and a nuclear-armed Iran would be a more menacing supporter of terrorist groups and destabilizing regional forces.”

After all, he said, “A diplomatic solution is the best, most enduring path to achieve our goal of keeping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”

After the Iran deal was reached, Mr. Lew advocated for it.

“Since the goal of sanctions is to pressure bad actors to change their policy, we must be prepared to provide relief from sanctions when they succeed,” he said at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. ”If we fail to follow through, we undermine our own credibility and damage our ability to use sanctions to drive policy change. … Since Iran has kept its end of the deal, it is our responsibility to uphold ours in both letter and spirit.”

Mr. Lew’s confirmation hearing comes as Israel has been defending itself since Hamas launched its attacks on Oct. 7.

As of press time, more than 4,000 people, including at least 30 U.S. citizens, have been killed. In response to the attacks, Israel has launched air strikes on Gaza, which Hamas controls. It also has attacked Hezbollah and IRGC targets north of Israel. The Jewish state has vowed to annihilate Hamas.

Given the dire situation in Israel, Senate Democrats have called for Mr. Lew to be sent to Jerusalem.

“There’s no time to waste. Israel is in critical need of a Senate-confirmed U.S. ambassador, and nominee Jack Lew is ready to serve. As we return to session tomorrow, it’s a high priority to get his nomination advanced quickly,” Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, posted on X on Oct. 15.

“For the U.S. to be without an ambassador to Israel at this critical moment would be a terrible mistake. Jack Lew is highly qualified and should be confirmed quickly,” posted Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) on X on Oct. 11.

“Our nation needs a confirmed Ambassador to Israel. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I look forward to voting to advance Jack Lew’s nomination next week and working to fill other vacancies in the region as soon as possible,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) posted on X.