Cabinet approves PM’s pick of ex-settler leader as NY envoy

The cabinet on Sunday voted to approve Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s appointment of former settler leader Dani Dayan as the new consul general at the Israeli embassy in New York.

In a tweet, Dayan thanked the prime minister and cabinet lawmakers for confirming his nomination, saying he would “try to fill the position to the best of my ability.”

Dayan was initially named as Israel’s ambassador to Brasil in August last year, however Brasilia rejected the appointment in large part due to Dayan’s past as chairman of the Yesha Council, a committee representing Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

In the face of Brazil’s implacable opposition, Israel withdrew Dayan’s candidacy and the Prime Minister’s Office said it would not appoint another ambassador to Brasilia, putting an end to the diplomatic stand-off.

Dayan said he would take up the post in New York in August.

Earlier this year, Dayan in a TV interview called the prominent American pro-Israel group J Street “anti-Israel” and “un-Jewish.”

“I prefer the attitude of AIPAC to that of J Street that endorses all the anti-Israel candidates — the more anti-Israel you are, the more you are endorsed by J Street. That’s un-Jewish,” he told Israel’s i24news television channel.

J Street fired back at Dayan, and said in a statement the liberal group “proudly represent(s) the mainstream beliefs of a large segment of pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans and of American Jews.”

“Particularly in New York, where Mr. Dayan will be posted, he will find the beliefs of many in the Jewish community more in line with our world view than his. He will find it more fruitful to engage in substantive debate on the issues in his new post than to engage in personal attacks on the large number of Jews in the New York area and across the country who disagree with him. These kinds of slurs impugning our faith should simply be out-of-bounds for an official emissary of the Israeli government,” the statement said.

Dayan later acknowledged that what he said was “somewhat undiplomatic,” but did not apologize for the remarks. “New York is home to the largest and most diverse Jewish community outside of Israel. I intend to engage in sincere, open and inclusive dialogue with all parts of the Jewish community and the general public, as I always have.”

J Street — which in an earlier statement came out against Dayan’s appointment due to his adamant opposition to a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict — praised him for his willingness to engage in dialogue.

Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report.