What Does Jack Lew’s Tenure Tell Us About Ambassadorship in Wartime?
Balancing crises and political tensions, the outgoing US envoy brought a reserved style to diplomacy during one of Israel’s darkest periods
With less than two months until President-elect Donald Trump takes office and newly nominated US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee likely assumes his role, the current ambassador, Jack Lew, is preparing to leave his post.
Lew recently made a rare public appearance at the National Library of Israel, participating in a keynote Q&A about the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. The event was a departure from his usual low-profile approach, and while it wasn’t centered on the war or ongoing hostage crisis, Lew began his remarks by acknowledging the gravity of the past year.
It has been the darkest year I can remember in my lifetime.
“It has been the darkest year I can remember in my lifetime,” Lew said. “A very difficult year in which we had to carry a lot of loss, a lot of pain; in which our loved ones served—and I’m sure many of you did as well—for too many days; in which 101 hostages are still in Gaza. And I think I don’t speak only for myself here when I say we had to call upon every last reserve of resilience and hopefulness in our hearts and souls to get through each day. It is in times like this, times of darkness, that I personally most miss Rabbi Sacks—his unique way of looking at the world, seeing the difficulties, and saying, ‘Yes, but’ helping us see the bigger story, the deeper journey that can give us strength to persevere.”
While the event provided a rare glimpse into Lew’s perspective, it also raised a broader question: Where has he been during his tenure? Unlike his predecessor, Thomas Nides—described by many as being “everywhere” during his time serving as US ambassador in Israel—Lew has taken a more subdued approach. “He is the epitome of ‘walk softly and carry a big stick,’” one observer told The Media Line.
This difference, however, may have more to do with timing than personality. Nides left his post shortly after American Independence Day in 2023 when diplomatic activity was relatively quiet. Lew, by contrast, arrived in Israel less than a month after the October 7 massacre, stepping into his role as high-level diplomacy intensified.
“I think it’s a different era,” William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, told The Media Line. “Going to a SodaStream factory to cut a ribbon isn’t the sort of thing you do during wartime. What Jack Lew has done is go to countless funerals and shivas.”
While Nides’ tenure was marked by initiatives like the visa waiver program and addressing Palestinian access issues, Lew’s focus has been on navigating a period of crises, offering a stark contrast in the ambassadorial role under dramatically different circumstances.
“He had a very low profile in Israel, and there could be a number of reasons for that,” Eytan Gilboa, a professor of international communication at Bar-Ilan University, told The Media Line. Chief among them, he said, is that Lew hasn’t had enough time to establish himself.
“It takes time. It takes time to become an ambassador in any country, especially in Israel,” Gilboa explained. “It takes time to establish a presence, know people, talk to, persuade people—and he simply didn’t have time in less than a year. A year is not enough to do a good job.”
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Much of US-Israeli diplomacy this year has been handled at higher levels, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin frequently visiting Israel. As a result, Gilboa argued, “You don’t need the ambassador here to mediate between Israeli officials and politicians in the United States.”
This dynamic, he added, also applied to Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Michael Herzog, whose profile has been similarly subdued over the past year.
“They just became much less relevant,” Gilboa noted.
Echoing this sentiment, Daroff said: “Obviously, the ambassador has a little bit of a lower profile when his bosses are there. I don’t think it’s a reflection of his work or what’s happening behind the scenes for the ambassador.”
Gilboa suggested that Lew’s low profile might also be due to a lack of alignment with Israel’s current conservative government. Before becoming ambassador, Lew played key roles in several White House initiatives under the Obama administration that directly opposed Israel’s policies. For example, Lew was an avid supporter of the Iranian nuclear deal, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu staunchly opposed. Additionally, as treasury secretary, Lew oversaw the administration of sanctions relief to Iran as part of that agreement.
Before Lew’s confirmation, many Republican leaders questioned President Biden’s decision, pointing out that Lew had made controversial comments that could complicate his role in Jerusalem, even under more favorable circumstances. This included his criticism of Netanyahu during a speech at Columbia University in 2017.
“There were obvious tensions with Washington” over the past year, Gilboa noted. He added that with a liberal, left-leaning administration in the White House and perhaps Israel’s most conservative government ever, it “creates tension” and “some kind of alienation between the ambassador and the government here,” regardless of who holds the ambassadorial post.
It’s also possible that many felt Lew’s absence because of the stark contrast between him and his predecessor, Thomas Nides.
Lew is invisible. Tom was everywhere.
You couldn’t get two more opposites than Lew and Nides, several sources told The Media Line, though many declined to go on record to avoid disparaging the current ambassador. One diplomat put it bluntly: “Lew is invisible. Tom was everywhere.”
Those familiar with Lew described him as a “shy and reserved bureaucrat,” while Nides was “the life of the party.” Nides was comfortable being photographed and interviewed in almost any situation, while Lew has rarely been seen in photos and has given very few interviews. Notably, his office declined to comment for this article.
“Each ambassador brings their personality to the role, and Jack Lew is a brilliant, reserved person,” said Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Israel’s special envoy for trade and innovation.
“Jack Lew is a consummate Washington power player,” Daroff added. “He brings his knowledge, expertise, and relationships from his tenure as White House chief of staff, secretary of the Treasury, and innumerable other roles in Washington to benefit the bilateral relationship between the United States and Israel.”
Daroff noted that behind the scenes, Lew held dozens of meetings with American hostage families and served as “a vital conduit for ensuring that American interests were protected and promoted in Israel.”
Lew is the sixth Jewish US ambassador to Israel, a tradition that began with the late Martin Indyk’s appointment in 1995. This lineage includes Daniel Kurtzer, Daniel Shapiro, David Friedman, and Tom Nides. Lew, Friedman, and Kurtzer are Orthodox Jews, adding a unique dimension to their roles.
Huckabee, the incoming ambassador, will be the first evangelical Christian to hold the position in recent memory. His appointment has sparked high expectations, particularly among Israel’s right-of-center settler movement.
Any ambassador has to be prepared for the unpredictable, but Jack Lew has had to deal with the unimaginable
“Any ambassador has to be prepared for the unpredictable, but Jack Lew has had to deal with the unimaginable—a full-fledged attack on the State of Israel just weeks after his nomination,” said Heather Stone, executive vice chair of American Democrats in Israel.
In a rare move, Lew began his tenure meeting with Blinken and Israel’s War Cabinet before even presenting his credentials to Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Lew’s Senate confirmation hearing emphasized the critical need for a steadfast ally in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack. Since then, Stone told The Media Line that Lew has consistently defended US President Joe Biden’s unwavering support for Israel while advocating for the release of hostages held in Gaza.
Despite political pressures from fringe elements in both US parties and the chaos of a contentious presidential election, Lew has assured the State Department that Israel’s actions in Gaza comply with American and international laws, she said. He has maintained his commitment to supporting Israel through one of its darkest periods.
“We expect Jack Lew will continue to denounce anti-Zionism and antisemitism as a private citizen upon his return to the US,” Stone concluded.
