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Israeli President Issac Herzog accepted the credentials of newly appointed US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, The Times of Israel reported on Sunday.
It reported that the appointment of US ambassador was fast-tracked after the conflict between Hamas and Israel escalated in the region. It reported that at the credential-receiving ceremony at the President's residence, the Israeli President said, "A crisis is always when you're reminded who you're friends are. This is true of people and true of countries. I am speaking for all Israelis when I say that never has American friendship been more evident or more valued than it is today." He added, "We are grateful for everything that the United States of America has done for us and is doing as we speak. We will never forget it." President also said that the US envoy is taking charge of his post at "a tipping point for Israel and the region, maybe for the world," citing the October 7 massacres by Hamas "that changed this country forever." "This war is about much more than Israel and Hamas," Herzog continues. "It is about whether the world will accept the violation of our basic values as human beings." Speaking after Herzog, US envoy Lew said "these are not normal times." "This past month has tested Israel and it has also proven that the bond between our nations is unshakable. As two great democracies, we share values that underlie how we make decisions and explains why we remain so close," he said. Lew added that he met earlier in the day with the families of hostages held by Hamas: "There are no words to explain the pain they feel and we share." He says working to secure their release will be a "top priority." "The United States stands with you, we will work together and our resolve remains strong," Lew stated. US Ambassador Jack Lew was appointed as the US envoy to Israel by US President Joe Biden on November 2. Ambassador Lew previously served as the 76th Secretary of the Treasury, White House Chief of Staff and twice as Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), under both President Clinton and President Obama, said US Embassy in Israel website. He previously served in the Department of State as Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources under Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton. Earlier Saturday, President Isaac Herzog on Thursday met with the ambassadors of Thailand, the Philippines, Tanzania, and Nepal, countries whose citizens were murdered and taken hostage in Hamas's Oct. 7 terror invasion of southwestern Israel, the President's Office in Jerusalem said. (ANI)
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