Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Joe Biden Names Ambassadors To Sensitive Posts In Israel, Mexico

Joe Biden Names Ambassadors To Sensitive Posts In Israel, Mexico

Joe Biden tapped Morgan Stanley vice-chairman Thomas Nides, onetime aide to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as ambassador to Israel, as the close U.S. ally welcomes a new prime minister.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday used his first major batch of foreign ambassador nominations to signal a desire to strengthen U.S. relationships to deal with challenges in the Middle East, Central America and with Russia.

Biden tapped Morgan Stanley vice-chairman Thomas Nides, onetime aide to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as ambassador to Israel, as the close U.S. ally welcomes a new prime minister.

Nides' nomination comes just two days after Israel's parliament seated a new governing coalition led by nationalist Naftali Bennett, ending Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year run as prime minister.

As ambassador to Mexico, Biden picked Ken Salazar, a Spanish-speaking, Latino lawyer and former U.S. senator from Colorado and Interior secretary. Mexico is a top U.S. trading partner, and the new ambassador will also work to limit immigration from Central America.

Biden chose security expert Julianne Smith to represent Washington on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a Western bulwark against Russia.

The White House announced nine total ambassador nominations after Biden wrapped up meetings in Europe with the Group of Seven countries and NATO, all traditional U.S. allies, and prepared for Wednesday's meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, a meeting that could be tense.

Nominees do not become ambassadors until they are confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Biden has yet to announce most of his picks, from Russia and China to most countries represented at the meetings in Europe.

Nides, regarded as committed to close U.S.-Israeli security ties, could face a tough task dealing with factions of the country's left-wing, centrist, right-wing and Arab parties that had little in common except a desire to unseat Netanyahu.

'GREAT ACCESS'


Dennis Ross, a former Middle East negotiator under Republican and Democratic administrations, described Nides as having close ties to Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

"An ambassador who is authoritative and has great access is what matters. He is both," Ross said.

The Biden administration had faced criticism for lacking high-level diplomatic representation in Israel during its 11-day conflict with Hamas in Gaza last month.

Though Biden and Netanyahu spoke regularly during the conflict, they clashed over issues including Biden's desire to rejoin a 2015 nuclear deal with Israel's arch-foe Iran. Bennett also opposes the deal.

Salazar is a partner at the law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP. Smith is an aide to Blinken and was Biden's national security adviser when he was vice president.

Nides and Salazar were also both major fundraisers for Biden's presidential campaign, often a prerequisite for top politically appointed ambassadors.

The White House said Biden picked C. B. "Sully" Sullenberger to be an ambassador and serve as the U.S. representative on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Sullenberger rose to fame in 2009 after gliding his Airbus A320 to a safe landing on the Hudson River after hitting a flock of geese shortly after takeoff, an incident immortalized as the "Miracle on the Hudson." He also joined Biden on the presidential campaign trail.

Biden also named ambassador picks to Sri Lanka, the Gambia, Guinea, Paraguay and Costa Rica.

In April, Biden picked nine career U.S. foreign service officers as ambassadors.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×