Senate Confirms Thomas Nides as New US Ambassador to Israel

The US Senate confirmed Thomas Nides as the new US ambassador to Israel in an early Thursday morning voice vote. The approval comes after a long nomination process, and a day after Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, blocked the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from fast-tracking the confirmation process using the unanimous consent vote. The United States has not had an ambassador in Israel for the last 10 months, since David Friedman stepped down at the end of former President Donald Trump’s term in office. Former Jerusalem consul general Michael Ratney has served as interim chargé d’affaires since June, the same month that Nides was nominated to the ambassador’s post. Nides has been serving as managing director and vice chairman of Morgan Stanley in March 2013, after previously serving as its COO from 2005 to 2010. During his tenure in the Obama administration, Nides worked as part of the team that led to the Obama administration’s approval of a $38 million, 10-year loan guarantee package for Israel. He also worked to thwart an effort by some lawmakers to limit US support for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and for UNESCO.