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FACT BRIEF

Did the U.S. have an ambassador to Israel at the start of the Israel-Hamas War?

By Tom Kertscher
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NO

The position of U.S. ambassador to Israel was vacant as of Oct. 11, 2023.

It’s one of 39 ambassador vacancies as of Oct. 2 for which nominees from President Joe Biden are awaiting Senate confirmation, according to the American Foreign Service Association.

The Constitution requires Senate confirmation. Tom Nides left the Israel ambassadorship in July.

Biden on Sept. 28 nominated former Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew to succeed Nides.

Nine days later, the Palestinian group Hamas, designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization, attacked Israel. Israel, a U.S. ally, in turn declared war.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee announced Oct. 9 it would hold a confirmation hearing for Lew on Oct. 18.

In July, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Senate diplomatic confirmation delays were undermining national security.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, has held back the diplomatic nominations while seeking information from the Biden administration on the origins of COVID-19.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Archive.is Tracker: Current U.S. Ambassadors
AP News Biden nominates former Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew to serve as ambassador to Israel
US Senate U.S. Senate: About Nominations
AP News Biden nominates former Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew to serve as ambassador to Israel
White House Nominations Sent to the Senate
US Department of State Foreign Terrorist Organizations
New York Times Here’s a timeline of Saturday’s attacks and Israel’s retaliation.
US Department of State Major Non-NATO Ally Status
AP News Israel declares war, bombards Gaza and battles to dislodge Hamas fighters after surprise attack
Reuters U.S. Senate moves quickly toward confirming Lew as ambassador to Israel
senate.gov United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing
Reuters Biden administration amps up pressure on US Senate over nomination delays
NBC News Senate Foreign Relations chairman criticizes Sen. Rand Paul for holding up nominations
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.