Senate Democrats are rushing to confirm former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew as the next ambassador to Israel amid a war between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas.
Lew, who was nominated by President Joe Biden in September, would replace former Ambassador Thomas Nides, who stepped down from the post in July. However, Republicans are attempting to block the nomination over allegations that Lew has been soft on Iran, which has been indirectly tied to Hamas.
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Here is everything you need to know about the Israel ambassador nominee.
What is Jack Lew's background:
Lew has been in Washington D.C. for decades, predominantly serving as director of the Office of Management and Budget under former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Lew also served as Obama's White House chief of staff for two years before he was made Obama's treasury secretary from 2013-2017.
During his tenure in the Clinton administration, Lew helped develop the memorandum of understanding for federal funding for Israel. During the Obama administration, he helped secure “crucial funding” for Israel’s multi-tier missile defense systems, according to NBC News.
Lew currently serves as a managing partner at Lindsay Goldberg LLC, as a visiting professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University, and as co-president of the board of the National Library of Israel USA.
Where does Lew stand on Israel-Hamas war:
The former secretary has been supportive of Israel amid its war with Hamas, including its right to defend itself against a terrorist attack. Lew claimed that the safety of Israel is "paramount" on Wednesday.
“There's no greater mission than to work to strengthen the ties between the U.S. and Israel,” Lew said in his opening statement before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The Biden administration has been supportive of Israel, a U.S. ally, throughout the war, which began Oct. 7.
Why Republicans oppose Lew:
Republicans have accused Lew of being an Iran "sympathizer" and "lying" to Congress. The alleged lies come from a 2018 report by GOP senators who claim Lew and other Obama administrators lied to Congress about granting Iran access to America's financial system as part of the Iran nuclear deal.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), who sits on the foreign relations committee, has criticized the former treasury secretary for Obama's decision to abstain from voting on a 2016 United Nations Security Council resolution that halted Israeli settlements.
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“I know Democrats are saying that we need to confirm Jack Lew quickly to show our support for Israel. I would say it’s the exact opposite," Cotton told Fox News on Sunday. "We need to defeat Jack Lew’s nomination to show that we have a new approach to Iran.”
If Lew does get confirmed as the next ambassador, the Biden administration said he would be sent to the region right away.