Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton has been vocal about his efforts to stop the nomination of Jack Lew as ambassador to Israel, arguing that Lew is not the right choice for America or Israel. Despite Republican opposition, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 12-9 to advance Lew’s nomination during a closed business meeting. The nominee will now face a full floor vote. Democrats, led by Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, are pushing for a quick confirmation amid the ongoing war in Israel. Every Republican on the committee, except Sen. Rand Paul, opposed Lew’s passage, while every Democrat voted in favor.
The mounting opposition to Lew stems from his past work on Iran sanctions. In 2018, a Senate report revealed that Lew, during his tenure as Treasury secretary under the Obama administration, granted a specific license authorizing the conversion of Iranian assets worth billions of U.S. dollars using the U.S. financial system. In response to these concerns, Lew affirmed during his hearing that he recognizes Iran as a threat to regional stability and Israel’s existence and pledged to uphold President Biden’s commitment to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
The report also highlighted a $400 million cash transfer to Iran announced by then-President Barack Obama in 2016 as part of a $1.7 billion settlement. Lew faced scrutiny for his involvement in the transfer, which was conducted using a combination of foreign currencies and transported to Iran on unidentified cargo planes. Republican senators raised these issues during the hearing, expressing reservations about Lew’s trustworthiness and his ability to serve as a representative that both Israel and the committee can rely on.
Sen. Cotton, who has been a vocal critic of the Iran nuclear deal, referred to Lew as an “Iran sympathizer” and argued that defeating Lew’s nomination would demonstrate a new policy towards Iran. The vote on Lew’s nomination is expected to take place on the Senate floor in the coming week.
In conclusion, Republican opposition to Jack Lew’s nomination as ambassador to Israel has intensified due to his past involvement with Iran sanctions and the controversial cash transfer to Iran during the Obama administration. Republicans argue that Lew is not the right candidate to represent the interests of both America and Israel. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s decision to advance Lew’s nomination has sparked further debate, with a full floor vote expected soon.
