Biden’s candidate for US envoy to Israel testifies at Senate confirmation hearing

In the opening speech of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, US President Biden’s candidate for ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides, said his top priorities, if upheld, would include the strengthening Israel’s security, expanding US-Israeli economic relations, cooperation with Israel on foreign investment to counter China and strengthen the Abrahamic accords.

“Israel is one of our closest security partners to counter the wide range of threats, the main one being the critical threat posed by Iran. President Biden has made it clear his commitment to ensuring that Iran never develops a nuclear weapon. Maintaining Israel’s security serves the national security interests of the United States and ensures that we will always have a strong, reliable and secure partner, ”Nides said.

Commenting on US-Israel economic relations, Nides says that “Israel’s start-up welcomes American companies” and that American companies have established more than two-thirds of the more than 300 foreign investment and development centers in Israel.

He also notes Biden’s stated commitment to work with Israel to have the Jewish state added to the US visa waiver program.

Candidate Biden said the United States will work with other democracies to combat “international institutional biases against Israel,” adding that the United States administration will continue to oppose the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. “If it is confirmed, while respecting the rights of all Americans to freedom of expression, I will continue the tireless work of this administration to firmly reject the BDS movement and the boycott laws,” he continued.

“The Abraham Accords – yes, the Abraham Accords – are essential to the stability and prosperity of the region,” Nides said, in his own attempt to put to bed any remaining speculation that the Biden administration might fear using the invented Trump team. term for the normalization agreements between Israel and the countries of the Arab and Muslim world.

“I will personally support all efforts to expand cooperation between Israel and countries in the Arab and Muslim world, and I hope to strengthen the Abrahamic accords and identify opportunities to expand Israel’s relations. [with] additional countries in the Arab and Muslim world, ”he said.

Nides then goes on to repeat a point of discussion frequently used by the Biden administration that “although we support normalization between Israel and other countries, this does not replace Israeli-Palestinian peace, and we seek to exploit agreements. existing and future to make tangible improvements. for the Palestinian people, with a view to preserving the vision of a negotiated two-state solution.

Nides says he is “committed to doing my part to rebuild the partnership between the American and Palestinian people.”

The candidate concludes by declaring that “frank and fruitful dialogues only strengthen our partnership and deepen ties between Americans and Israelis”.