Yechiel Leiter takes up post as new ambassador to US

Yechiel Leiter has begun his first day as Israel’s ambassador to the United States, replacing Michael Herzog, who concluded his tenure on Friday, after three years, the Israeli embassy in Washington announces.

“The relationship between Israel and the United States is founded on shared values ​​and interests, as well as extensive cooperation over decades. I am determined to continue to strengthen this unique relationship, deepen the strategic partnership, promote stability in the Middle East, and strengthen the security and prosperity of the people of Israel,” Leiter says in a statement.

“I carry with me the pain of the families who lost their loved ones in the renewed War of Independence that was forced upon us, but I also bring with me the resilience of the people of Israel — determined to win the war against evil: to defeat Hamas, to bring our hostages home, and to never allow Iran’s proxies to threaten our borders,” Leiter adds.

Leiter thanks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for appointing him, and hails the premier’s efforts in “navigating the ship of our nation through the most turbulent days and now leading us to a safe haven.”

Leiter also praises US President Donald Trump, asserting that “there is no doubt that a true friend of Israel and the Jewish people has returned to the White House.”

“Together with the Trump administration, we will work to strengthen the security and stability of Israel and to formulate an effective regional strategy against the Iranian threat.”

He stresses the importance of the bipartisan nature of the US-Israel relationship, pledging to work with “Republicans and Democrats alike to preserve Israel as a unifying issue that transcends partisan lines.”

Leiter may face an uphill battle on this front, given his decades of efforts to advance Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are opposed by the vast majority of Democrats.

He was active in supporting the Jewish community of Hebron, even helping establish a new neighborhood in the divided West Bank city. He has written against Palestinian statehood and in favor of Israel annexing the West Bank.

In the 2008 election, he was a candidate on the Likud slate, but did not make it into the Knesset.

Leiter was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania and was active in the far-right Jewish Defense League, headed by the late extremist Rabbi Meir Kahane. He immigrated to Israel in 1978, with other activists from the JDL.

Leiter served as an adviser to former prime minister Ariel Sharon; chief of staff to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when he was finance minister, deputy director of the Education Ministry, and acting chair of the Israeli Ports Authority.

He holds a BA in law and political science, an MA in international relations from Catholic University of America in Washington and a PhD in political philosophy from the University of Haifa. His postdoctoral research on the philosophy of John Locke was published by Cambridge University Press. He is also an ordained rabbi.

Leiter, 65, is the father of eight children. His eldest son, Moshe, was killed fighting in Gaza in November 2023.

Leiter is spending his first day as ambassador meeting with the embassy’s staff, his office says.