Jewish organizations pulling for Jack Lew in nomination for Israel ambassadorship

Riverdale’s own Jack Lew may soon add another feather in his Washington government cap as U.S. ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Israel, subject to U.S. Senate confirmation.

President Joe Biden nominated Lew, former U.S. treasury secretary and chief of staff under President Barack Obama and director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Bill Clinton, on Sept. 5. The ambassadorship would give Lew the power to sign a treaty or convention on behalf of the U.S. government.

If confirmed, Lew, 68, would replace Thomas Nides, who served as ambassador until July.

While both the President and Lew himself would not comment before the confirmation hearings begin, many local electeds and Jewish organizations made it known Lew would be a great choice for the job.

“I’m very excited for him,” said Bob Rubinstein, a neighbor of Lew’s for the past decade, a local attorney and vice president of the Kiwanis Club of Riverdale. “He’s a religious Jew. He’s perfect for the job since he is invested and interested in the future of Israel.

“He’s very friendly and a good mediator. He had to be because he must have had a lot of problems to deal with in all the positions, especially as chief of staff.”

Lew is managing partner of the investment firm of Lindsay Goldberg LLC and a visiting professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University. While working for President Clinton, he was one of the architects of the national service program Americorps.

UJA-Federation of New York said it applauds President Biden’s nomination of Lew. They called him “a distinguished American leader, and longstanding member of New York’s Jewish community.”

“Jack is deeply engaged with every aspect of the US/Israel relationship,” according to the statement. “Jack’s extensive international and policy experience, familiarity with issues critical to the Jewish community, and unwavering commitment to promoting Israel’s stability in the region will make him an exemplary Ambassador.”

As for the electeds, there was lots of praise to go around for Lew’s credentials.

“Jack Lew is an exceptional public servant, as well as a resident of Riverdale, which I proudly represent in Congress,” said U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres.  “I look forward to the Senate confirming Jack Lew’s nomination as the U.S. ambassador to America’s greatest friend — the State of Israel.  The US-Israel relationship, as critical as ever, would be best served by a swift Senate confirmation of a new U.S. ambassador.”

On the floor of the U.S. Senate on Sept. 5, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who comes from Brooklyn, stated:

“Mr. Lew is precisely the person for the job of ambassador to Israel that we need: as former treasury secretary and chief of staff under President Obama, he’ll bring a wealth of experience, of diplomatic skill that will ensure the partnership between the U.S. and Israel remains strong.”

U.S. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries from New York called Lew “an extradordinary public servant.”

His “decades of dedication to our nation at the highest levels of government and breadth of experience make him uniquely capable of serving as U.S. ambassador to Israel at this critically important time,” Jeffries said. “I am grateful to the Biden administration for the importance they continue to place on the special relationship between the U.S. and Israel, this time by nominating a tested leader, skilled negotiator and distinguished coalition builder for this crucial post.”

“I thank Ambassador Tom Nides for his years of exemplary service, authentic diplomacy and work strengthening the partnership between our two nations. Our alliance is stronger and the world is safer because of his work.”

Before serving in the Obama administration, Lew served as chief operating officer of Citi Global Wealth Management and then Citi Alternative Investments. He also co-chaired the advisory board of City Year New York and was on the boards of the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the Brookings Institute Hamilton Project and the Tobin Project.