J Street welcomes President Biden’s nomination of consummate statesperson Jack Lew to serve as the US Ambassador to Israel.
Many of J Street’s staff and leaders have a long history of personal and professional connection to Secretary Lew, and we are personally thrilled that the President has chosen someone with this combination of skill, experience and commitment to the US-Israel relationship. His terms as White House Chief of Staff and Treasury Secretary were marked by breakthroughs in international and economic diplomacy that made our country, our allies and the world safer. We congratulate him and his family on this honor and look forward to working together with him at this pivotal moment toward safeguarding Israeli democracy, protecting Palestinian rights and moving toward peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
As J Street has made clear to the Biden Administration, we believe that the United States must take a more active role in preserving Israel’s essential character by countering its current government’s twin assaults on democracy and the prospects for a viable Palestinian state. American policy is in need of a reset — one that focuses on addressing underlying root causes of Israel’s current crisis, including the ongoing occupation. During his nomination hearing and once confirmed, we look forward to hearing from Secretary Lew about the steps the United States can take to meet this consequential moment in Israel’s history, and to create a more just, equitable and peaceful future for both Israelis and Palestinians.