An open letter to Israel’s new ambassador to the US

To do your job, you will have to respond to all that, while knowing that your interlocutors know that polls indicate that the majority of Israelis do not trust the government or the prime minister.

By TOVA HERZL NOVEMBER 20, 2024 01:03

FORMER ISRAELI ambassador to the US Ron Dermer attends a special 2022 session of the Knesset. Dermer famously stated that it was better to cultivate Evangelicals than Jews because they are more numerous and they criticize Israel less, the writer points out. (photo credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS)

Dear Rabbi Dr. Yechiel Leiter,

Congratulations on your selection as Israel’s ambassador to Washington. Unlike career diplomats (as I was) who dutifully represent the varying positions of changing governments, you are identified with a particular regime. Nevertheless, allow me to share my perspective on the work of an ambassador in general and on working in America in particular.

Any ambassador should represent his entire country, not only the government which sent him and the person helming it. Also, while the main focus is representing his country (Israel) where he is posted (US), he should also report to Israel honestly and thoroughly on what is happening in America. 

For that, he – you - must leave one’s natural comfort zone. This means moving beyond those who support the current government of Israel, including deepening settlements in the territories, an endeavor that you promoted for years and is backed by your recently announced American counterpart to Jerusalem, Mike Huckabee. 

You may ask, why bother to confront critics, to step on scorched earth, when there are many supporters, headed by president-elect Donald Trump, Republicans, and millions of Evangelicals? Because while comfortable and tempting, this approach could leave us empty-handed.

Dr. Yechiel Leiter, Israel's Ambassador to the United States. (credit: Meir Alipur)

It is possible that Trump has changed, as indicated by his efforts to capture the Arab vote. Also, during his first term, he proposed a peace plan that included territorial compromise. His staunchest supporters agree that he is unpredictable; it is impossible to know what he will propose in his second term or how he will react if his proposals are rejected. 

Although the Democrats did not succeed in the recent elections, close ties with them are a vital Israeli interest. A Democratic president may well be elected in 2028. Even before, midterm elections tend to favor the party not in the White House. Given that each dollar that leaves the US Treasury requires the separate approval of both the House and Senate, Israeli disregard for Democrats may cost us dearly.

Reflecting on Dermer

AS FOR EVANGELICALS, Ron Dermer, your predecessor and now a cabinet minister, famously stated that it is better to cultivate them than Jews because they are more numerous and they criticize Israel less. He was correct about the numbers. He was wrong that they automatically support Israel and its Right. 

I recently came across a survey that showed between 2018 and 2021, support for Israel among young Evangelicals was halved, from two-thirds to one-third. During the same three-year period, their support for Palestinians rose five-fold, from 5% to one quarter. Relying on Evangelical support will mortgage Israel’s relations in America, especially with its Jews, in return for transient support.

Regarding our Jewish brethren – it is difficult to imagine their current anxiety and isolation. Most vote for Democrats. They were shocked and pained when many who share their liberal values turned their backs on Israel in its distress. Although they are not citizens of Israel and are not responsible for its actions, for more than a year now, they have encountered antisemitism.

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If this were not enough, they find themselves between a hammer and a hard place. Whoever supports human rights based on what he views as his Jewish values cannot comprehend Israel’s moves toward annexation (not to be confused with a military presence), which will formalize the inequality of Palestinians. This happens even as we pride ourselves on being a democracy, while attempts continue to undermine its foundations, such as the independence of gatekeepers. 

To do your job, you will have to respond to all that, while knowing that your interlocutors know that polls indicate that the majority of Israelis do not trust the government or the prime minister.

In addition to your many qualifications in business, academia, and more, you are an ordained Orthodox rabbi. Most American Jews are Reform or Conservative. Their siding with Israel cannot erase the humiliation they feel here. This is true even when there is no inherent religious problem; egalitarian prayer at a corner of the Western Wall was shelved due to ultra-Orthodox pressure. 

While they continue to contribute and lobby Congress for aid to Israel, they are concerned about the implications of increased government support for this non-productive sector and fear its growing influence on the public arena. This will further alienate many American Jews from the Jewish homeland.

If you will be a sectorial ambassador, representing our Right to the Right there, all these issues will be irrelevant. Otherwise, it will not be easy to deal with them, and to listen openly, in order to make recommendations to Jerusalem on how to address growing gaps. 

You may wish to ask yourself, before setting out, if and how you expect the overall relations to improve during your term in office, and how history will judge your role. 

True, you come from Israel’s Right, yet you have a unique opportunity to rehabilitate the relationship between the two countries, sector by sector. Your success will be the success of us all. Good luck!

The writer was Israel’s first ambassador to the Baltic states after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, ambassador to South Africa, and congressional liaison officer at the embassy in Washington. She is a graduate of Israel’s National Defense College.