Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced he will be assigning a new envoy to represent his country and will ask current Ambassador Michael Herzog to stay on until President-elect Donald Trump assumes office in January.
“The Prime Minister thanked Ambassador Herzog for his work over the last three years, and for his significant professional contribution, especially during a challenging war period,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
Ambassador Herzog has been the chief Israeli diplomat to the United States since November 2021. Herzog has had to weather a uniquely challenging time dealing with tensions between the Biden administration and Netanyahu following the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent conflict between Israel and Hamas.
In May, emotions reached an apex when Herzog sent a scathing letter to 90 House Democrats scolding them for accusing Israel of intentionally withholding humanitarian aid from the millions of Palestinians trapped in Gaza.
“At no point during the war has Israel had a policy of deliberately withholding humanitarian aid from entering Gaza,” he wrote in the message to lawmakers. “There are no arbitrary restrictions on the flow of humanitarian goods into Gaza.”
Upon Trump’s election, Herzog welcomed the new administration with being among the first international diplomats to send out a message of congratulations to the Republican victors.
“Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump on your victory. We are eager to build on the unique partnership between our two nations and work together with you, @JDVance and your administration to advance peace, security and integration in the Middle East,” Herzog posted on X this week.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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