US ambassador to Israel leaves his post
US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nedis informed embassy staff this morning (Tuesday) that he intends to leave his post in the coming weeks.
Naides said he plans to return to the United States for personal and family reasons, after nearly two years spent in Israel away from his wife and children who live in Washington.
A senior US official said that during a working visit to Washington last week, Neides told US Secretary of State Tony Blinken and White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan that he wanted to end his post in the summer.
The US official also stated that Neides told Blinken and Sullivan that he wanted to return to the United States for personal reasons, after he had been living in Israel since December 2021, away from his wife and children who remained in the United States.
Naides’ departure would allow the Biden administration to appoint a new ambassador this year, subject to approval by the Senate, which the Democratic Party currently controls by a narrow majority.
Naides was appointed to the position in June 2021 after holding a senior management position at Morgan Stanley. During President Obama’s first term, Neidas served as US Deputy Secretary of State for Administration under then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.