President Biden mentioned Tuesday he'll nominate former Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel.

Mr. Biden selected Mr. Lew, 68, at a crucial time for U.S.-Israel relations. The administration criticized judicial reforms pushed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this yr and a few Democrats boycotted a Capitol Hill go to from Israel’s president.

The incident and remarks from progressive lawmakers sparked cross-claims of antisemitism between the events at the same time as Congress tried to have fun the seventieth anniversary of Israel’s statehood.

Mr. Lew will face a Senate affirmation course of that may possible revive the controversy about Mr. Biden’s strategy to Israel, a traditionally essential ally within the Middle East.

Mr. Lew is not any stranger to lofty authorities positions. He served as Treasury secretary beneath President Barack Obama, when Mr. Biden was vice chairman, from 2013 to 2017.

Mr. Lew beforehand served as Mr. Obama’s chief of employees and as director of the Office of Management and Budget within the Obama and Clinton administrations.

Currently, Mr. Lew is the managing companion of Lindsay Goldberg LLC and a visiting professor of worldwide and public affairs at Columbia University.

If confirmed, Mr. Lew would substitute Stephanie Hallett, a profession diplomat who took over the ambassador place on an interim foundation after Ambassador Thomas Nides stepped down.

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