begin quote from:
https://www.npr.org/2023/10/19/1205700419/israel-us-ambassador-senate-middle-east
Senate acts on 'unprecedented' lack of U.S. ambassadors, spurred by Israel-Hamas war
A road sign points the way to the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, which does not currently have an ambassador, hampering diplomatic efforts to calm violence between Israel and Hamas militants.
With Israel at war with Hamas, the Senate is moving urgently to fill key U.S. diplomatic posts throughout the Middle East — many of which have been sitting empty for months.
Most glaringly, the U.S. does not currently have an ambassador in Israel. That vacancy hobbles the Biden administration's ability to pursue a number of goals, from negotiating the release of U.S. hostages held by Hamas to easing the violence and preventing it from blossoming into a wider conflict.
It is "unprecedented" to have so many U.S. ambassador posts sit vacant for as long as they have this year, Farah Pandith, an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, told NPR.
"We're in the midst of an extremely dangerous moment in the Middle East and the value of having a U.S. ambassador on the ground in Israel can't be overstated," Pandith said. "It is critical in both the short term and over the longer term."
It's the second recent war to break out in a country without a U.S. ambassador. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the top U.S. diplomatic post was also empty.
Crisis in Israel spurs action on Capitol Hill
Jack Lew, President Biden's nominee to be the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, arrives for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing for Jack Lew, President Biden's nominee to the Israel post, on Wednesday — just one month after Lew was nominated. It's expected to hold a vote next week. If approved, Lew's nomination heads to the full Senate for confirmation.
Lew was Treasury Secretary under President Barack Obama. He has also held numerous White House jobs and is a former director of the Office of Management and Budget.
But Republicans on the panel criticized Lew, because he worked on the controversial Iran nuclear deal in 2015. Lew, who is Jewish, told the panel he sees Iran as an "evil, malign government" and a threat to Israel.
Lew's relatively rapid advance is paralleled elsewhere. This week, the Senate also confirmed new ambassadors to Kuwait and Oman, and the foreign relations panel is holding a hearing for Biden's pick to represent the U.S. in Egypt.
Some important ambassadorial posts in the region, such as in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, were filled earlier in 2023 after sitting empty for nearly a year.
'We have diplomats for a reason'
Even before the shocking Hamas attack on Oct. 7, U.S. diplomatic corps in Israel were very busy. The U.S had two main goals: trying to convince Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to temper his plans to weaken the judiciary; and reaching an agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalize relations.
"We have diplomats for a reason," Pandith said. She later added, "American foreign policy starts in Washington, but the leadership on the ground helps to see it through."
Before Hamas militants launched their surprise attack, at least five U.S. ambassador posts were sitting vacant in the Arabic world, according to the American Foreign Service Association.
"Many of these countries are key regional actors who could be leveraged to advance U.S. interests in resolving the current round of fighting," Pandith said. "For example, Egypt shares a border with Gaza and Oman is a trusted intermediary between the United States and Iran."
U.S. ambassador posts — vacant or recently filled
Israel: Vacant. Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides announced his resignation in May, after less than two years in the job. Last month, Biden selected Jack Lew to fill the post. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing on Lew's nomination on Wednesday.
Egypt: Vacant. The nomination of Herro Mustafa Garg — a former ambassador to Bulgaria who speaks Arabic, Kurdish, Farsi, and several other languages — has been pending since late March. The Senate committee held a hearing for her nomination on Thursday.
Oman: Filled, Oct. 17. Ana Escrogima was confirmed after her nomination languished for four months despite a favorable committee report. The delay was apparently due to holds placed in the Senate; senators can block nominations privately.
Kuwait: Filled, Oct. 16. The Senate confirmed Karen Sasahara — who once served as America's de facto ambassador to the Palestinians in Jerusalem — to the Kuwait post nine months after Biden nominated her on Jan. 3.
Jordan: Filled. Yael Lempert was sworn in as the new U.S. ambassador to Jordan on Aug. 9. Like Sasahara, she was nominated on Jan. 3.
Lebanon: In flux. Lisa A. Johnson was nominated in February. She would replace Ambassador Dorothy C. Shea, who is nominated to be the U.S. deputy representative in the U.N. The foreign relations panel advanced both of their nominations to the full Senate this summer.
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