Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, appointed US-born Yechiel Leiter, an official who previously served as chief of staff in the finance ministry, as the next Israeli ambassador to the United States.
“Yechiel Leiter is a highly capable diplomat, an eloquent
speaker, and possesses a deep understanding of American culture and politics,”
Netanyahu said in a statement on Friday.
Leiter’s appointment came three days after Donald Trump’s
election to a second term as U.S. president, celebrated by many Israelis
because of his strong support for Israel.
As well as serving in the finance ministry, Leiter held
positions as deputy director general in the Education Ministry and acting
chairman of the Israel Ports Company.
His son was killed last year in the Gaza war against
Palestinian militant group Hamas while serving with the Israeli military.
Leiter’s appointment was also welcomed by Yisrael Ganz, the
head of the Yesha Council, an umbrella organisation representing councils of
Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a territory Palestinians
want as part of a future state.
Ganz said Leiter, who lives in the Gush Etzion settlement
area, was “a key partner in English-language advocacy for Judea and Samaria”, a
name used by many Israelis for the West Bank, which Israel captured in the 1967
Middle East war.
AFP
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