Israel taps staunch supporter of illegal settlements as ambassador to US
Al Jazeera
Yechiel Leiter’s selection comes days after Trump election victory and presages expected US-Israel policy shift.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has selected Yechiel Leiter as the new Israeli ambassador to the United States, days after Republican Donald Trump was elected for a second term in the White House.
Leiter, a US-born resident of an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, has long been a proponent of illegal settlement expansion. His selection coincides with the Netanyahu government’s enthusiastic response to Trump’s return to the White House.
Trump took a steadfastly loyal approach to Israel during his first term, particularly when it came to Israeli settlements, claiming “the Jewish state has never had a better friend in the White House.”
In a statement on Friday, Netanyahu’s office pointed to Leiter’s past positions in the Israeli government, including as Netanyahu’s chief of staff when the prime minister was the secretary of finance. He has also served as the deputy director general of the Ministry of Education and acting chairman of the Israel Ports Company.
In a statement, Netanyahu called Leiter “a highly capable diplomat, an eloquent speaker” with a deep understanding of American culture and politics.
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