Biden eyes former US Treasury secretary as potential envoy to 'Israel'
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Jack Lew, the man who may become the White House's next ambassador to "Israel", previously worked as a Cabinet secretary and a White House chief of staff.
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Former White House chief of staff Jack Lew testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on his nomination to be treasury secretary on Feb. 13, 2013. (AFP)
Axios reported on Sunday, citing sources close to the matter, that US President Joe Biden is considering nominating former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew as the new US ambassador to "Israel," according to Axios.
The successor to the last US ambassador Tom Nides is likely to face complications amid a tense political climate that has been stirred up by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul.
As Washington is working to bring about a 'mega-deal' with Saudi Arabia that could include a normalization agreement with "Israel," the future ambassador will have to assume a difficult role in handling such delicate matters.
Jack Lew previously worked as a Cabinet secretary and a White House chief of staff.
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He was very close to Biden during the Obama administration and worked with Netanyahu and the occupation's minister for strategic affairs.
Given his extensive background, Lew is considered a primary candidate for the position of US ambassador to "Israel," and is seen as most fit to deal with US-Israeli diplomatic relations which have peaked at their worst in years.
The tension is in great part owed to Netanyahu's policy of expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank as well as the JCPOA negotiations.
As an Orthodox Jew, Lew has kept the Sabbath throughout his professional trajectory and maintains close relations with the Jewish community in the US, Axios explained.
He recently told former White House employees that he was keen on applying to the position, the report states. While others have applied for the job, Lew is the only one being vetted for the position as of now, Axios sources noted.
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