Senate Democrats wish to rapidly verify President Biden’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jacob J. Lew, as battle rages between the U.S. ally and Hamas.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will maintain Mr. Lew’s affirmation listening to on Wednesday.

But the method will kick off amid Republican opposition to Mr. Lew’s dealing with of Iran through the Obama administration, as a result of Tehran is underneath the microscope for its funding of the Hamas terror group.

Republican senators have lengthy scrutinized Mr. Lew for his approval as Mr. Obama’s Treasury secretary in 2016 of a $400 million money switch to Iran as a part of a $1.7 billion settlement associated to a long-running disagreement over a decades-old arms deal.

Mr. Lew has additionally confronted accusations of mendacity to Congress in 2015 concerning the Obama administration’s monetary dealings with Iran, and confronted additional criticism in 2016 for not supporting the veto of a United Nations decision condemning Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory.

“Jack Lew is an Iranian sympathizer who has no business being the U.S. ambassador to Israel,” Arkansas GOP Sen. Tom Cotton, who’s main the resistance, posted on social media over the weekend. “The Senate should not confirm him.”

Sen. Marco Rubio, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, additionally opposes Mr. Lew.

“We need to have an ambassador in Israel, but it has to be the right person,” the Florida Republican wrote on X.

But with out convincing all of their Republican colleagues — a lot much less not less than one or two Democrats — it seems that opposing GOP senators will solely be capable to delay the inevitable affirmation of Mr. Lew. Presidential nominees require a easy majority to substantiate or reject.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer mentioned Mr. Lew have to be confirmed to the vacant submit amid Israel’s battle with Hamas “as quickly as possible” and “without any costly partisan delays.”

“Mr. Lew has long proven himself a strong public servant, a ferocious ally of Israel,” the New York Democrat mentioned Monday. “Delaying him would be egregious at a time like this. We must move him quickly, and I hope we will.”

The Biden administration is going through mounting bipartisan strain to extra aggressively counter Iran, which has lengthy offered Hamas with weaponry, coaching and funding. Direct ties between Hamas’ shock assault on Israel and Iran haven't been made, however U.S. officers emphasize the Iranian regime is partly accountable for propping up the terrorist group.

Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill have known as on Mr. Biden to dam the discharge of $6 billion in Iranian oil property that had been unfrozen as a part of a take care of Tehran in September in alternate for 5 wrongly detained Americans. The White House has confirmed the U.S. has a “quiet understanding” with Qatar, which is holding the funds, to not launch the cash, however officers have declined to remark additional.

Content Source: www.washingtontimes.com