{"id":2072942,"date":"2023-10-19T11:46:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-19T15:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-voice-concern-over-bidens-pick-for-ambassador-to-israel-amid-hamas-attacks\/"},"modified":"2023-10-19T11:49:55","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T15:49:55","slug":"republicans-voice-concern-over-bidens-pick-for-ambassador-to-israel-amid-hamas-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-voice-concern-over-bidens-pick-for-ambassador-to-israel-amid-hamas-attacks\/","title":{"rendered":"Republicans express worry over Biden&#8217;s choice for Ambassador to Israel amidst Hamas attacks."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frepublicans-voice-concern-over-bidens-pick-for-ambassador-to-israel-amid-hamas-attacks%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2072942&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Republican Senators Express Concerns Over Biden&#8217;s Ambassador Nominee Amidst Hamas Attacks<\/h2>\n<p>Republican\u2064 senators have\u2064 voiced strong reservations regarding President Joe Biden&#8217;s selection for U.S. Ambassador to Israel, as the country \u2062continues to face relentless terrorist attacks from Hamas since October 7.<\/p>\n<p>During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee \u2062hearing on October 18, former U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew&#8217;s nomination was met with criticism \u200cfrom Republicans due to his support for \u2064the 2015 nuclear deal with \u200bIran, a known supporter of Hamas.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Secretary Lew, I have reservations about your appointment as America&#8217;s ambassador to Israel,&#8221; stated Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho),\u2064 the committee&#8217;s ranking member.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-4 sm:line-clamp-3\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/biden-picks-former-treasury-secretary-jacob-lew-as-ambassador-to-israel-5486666?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">Biden Picks Former Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew as Ambassador to Israel<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/5\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/biden-picks-former-treasury-secretary-jacob-lew-as-ambassador-to-israel-5486666?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">\n            <picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/*\" https:><\/source>\n            <\/picture>\n          <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-4 sm:line-clamp-3\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/senate-to-begin-confirmation-process-for-bidens-pick-for-israel-envoy-amid-war-5510966?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">Senate to Begin Confirmation Process for Biden&#8217;s Pick\u2064 for Israel Envoy Amid War<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/17\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/senate-to-begin-confirmation-process-for-bidens-pick-for-israel-envoy-amid-war-5510966?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">\n            <picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/*\" https:><\/source>\n            <\/picture>\n          <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Not only must you support Israel in response to these attacks, but also in its ongoing struggle against\u2064 the existential Iranian threat,&#8221; expressed Senator Risch, highlighting the underlying issue.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I have concerns about your ability to fulfill that role. Your involvement in supporting the Obama administration&#8217;s nuclear negotiations raises doubts,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Risch further accused Mr. Lew of being dishonest or, at the very\u2062 least,\u2062 misleading the committee during \u2062his 2015 appearance by \u200dnot\u2064 being transparent about funds going to Iran, claiming that the money couldn&#8217;t be used for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congressional-republicans-call-on-biden-administration-to-act-swiftly-on-ethiopia-crisis\/\" title=\"Congressional Republicans Call on Biden Administration to Act Swiftly on Ethiopia Crisis\">terrorist activities<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A\u200c bipartisan Senate report alleged that under Mr. \u200bLew&#8217;s leadership, the Treasury Department facilitated the transfer of funds to Iran through \u2063intermediaries.<\/p>\n<p>The United States withdrew from the\u200b Iran deal in 2018, reinstated lifted sanctions, and \u2063imposed new ones on Tehran.<\/p>\n<p>Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) echoed Senator Risch&#8217;s concerns regarding Mr. Lew&#8217;s\u2063 testimony.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) \u200chighlighted Mr. Lew&#8217;s role in implementing the Iran deal, \u2064which \u2064<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-voice-concern-over-bidens-pick-for-ambassador-to-israel-amid-hamas-attacks\/\" title=\"Republicans express worry over Biden's choice for Ambassador to Israel amidst Hamas attacks.\">included providing sanctions relief<\/a> to the Iranian regime.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Lew&#8217;s nomination was announced on September 5, and if confirmed, he would succeed \u200bTom\u2062 Nides,\u200b who concluded his ambassadorship on July 21.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">In \u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foreign.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/dbeea811-931a-d5c5-0047-5ff3940788f8\/101823_Lew_Testimony.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">his testimony<\/a>, Mr. Lew, an Orthodox Jew, expressed \u2062outrage over the October 7\u200c Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, which resulted in the highest number of Jewish casualties in a single day since the Holocaust.<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;I will do everything \u2064in\u200b my power to put an end to the horrific\u200c Hamas attacks and ensure \u200bIsrael has the necessary\u200d means to defend itself. I will spare no effort in \u2064working \u2064towards the safe return of American citizens currently held captive. Additionally, I will strive to\u2063 eliminate payments to terrorists and their families as rewards for their heinous crimes,&#8221; he testified.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If confirmed, I will work to prevent other state or non-state actors from escalating this conflict to new fronts.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Furthermore, I will \u200ccollaborate with the international community to address the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantis-sends-cargo-planes-full-of-supplies-to-israel\/\" title=\"DeSantis dispatches supply-laden planes to Israel.\">humanitarian crisis faced<\/a> \u2064by innocent civilians in Gaza, who are\u200d being used as human shields by Hamas.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In an attempt to address concerns about his\u2062 stance on Iran,\u200b Mr. Lew emphasized that Iran poses a threat. He pledged to strengthen Israel&#8217;s security, its relationship with the United States, and combat anti-Semitism.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Lew also promised\u2062 to bring back U.S. hostages, \u2062as it is believed that numerous American citizens are being held captive by Hamas. Over 4,500 people, including \u200bat least 31 Americans, have lost their\u2062 lives in the recent wave of Hamas attacks\u2064 on Israel.<\/p>\n<p>He stated that the United States should not engage in negotiations with Iran at the moment, given the ongoing Hamas attacks,\u2063 despite the \u200bpotential benefits of such an agreement. In addition to hostage-taking, Hamas has launched rockets from Gaza and launched brutal\u200d attacks on Israeli civilians.<\/p>\n<p>The attack on Israel held personal significance for Mr. Lew.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I cannot recall a time when Israel&#8217;s \u2064security\u2063 struggle was not at\u2063 the forefront of my mind. I grew up in a family that embraced religious Zionism and labor Zionism,&#8221; he recalled, recounting his experience in a Washington synagogue during the 1973 Yom Kippur\u200d War, where\u2064 Israel successfully defended\u200d itself against a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israel-calls-up-300k-reservists-to-defend-against-hamas\/\" title=\"Israel mobilizes 300K reservists to protect against Hamas.\">multi-front assault<\/a> from neighboring nations.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What accusations has Senator Risch made against \u2063Mr. Lew\u200b regarding his\u200c transparency about funds going to Iran during his 2015 appearance<\/h2>\n<p><span>  The start of \u200bthe conflict. He emphasized the importance of \u200cstanding firmly with Israel and \u200bworking towards a lasting peace\u2063 in the \u2064region.<\/p>\n<p>However, Republican senators remain \u2062skeptical of \u2062Mr. Lew&#8217;s nomination. Their concerns \u200cstem\u2064 from his support for the 2015 nuclear\u200b deal with Iran, a country known \u200cfor its support of Hamas. During \u2062the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on October 18, these concerns were vocalized by Senator Jim Risch, the committee&#8217;s \u2064ranking member.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Risch expressed reservations \u2063about Mr. Lew&#8217;s appointment\u2064 as America&#8217;s ambassador to \u2062Israel,\u2063 stating, &#8220;Not \u2062only must you support\u200c Israel in response to these attacks, but also in its ongoing struggle against\u2062 the\u200d existential Iranian threat.&#8221; He\u200d further questioned Mr. Lew&#8217;s\u2063 ability to fulfill\u200b the\u2064 role due to his involvement in supporting\u200d the Obama\u200d administration&#8217;s nuclear negotiations.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200csenator accused Mr. Lew \u200dof\u2064 being \u200cdishonest or, at the very\u2062 least,\u200b misleading \u200cthe committee. He referred to \u2064Mr. Lew&#8217;s\u2064 2015 appearance, where he allegedly\u2064 failed to be transparent about\u2064 funds going to Iran and\u200c claimed\u2064 that the money \u200ccould not be used \u200bfor terrorist activities. A bipartisan Senate report has since alleged that\u200b the Treasury \u2064Department, \u2064under \u200cMr. Lew&#8217;s leadership<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republican senators are concerned about President Biden&#8217;s pick for U.S. Ambassador to Israel due to recent Hamas attacks. At a Senate hearing, they questioned former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew&#8217;s nomination, pointing out his previous support for the 2015 agreement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1797,"featured_media":2072943,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2072942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2072942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1797"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2072942"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2072942\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2072943"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2072942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2072942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2072942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}