Outgoing US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro is being replaced by Mr. David Friedman, who accepted the appointment from President-elect Donald Trump. However, Shapiro has asked to remain in Israel until the end of the school year to permit his daughter, an 11th grader, complete the school year.
Shapiro was among the ambassadors summoned and censured this week after the United States decided not to use its veto power in the Security Council, permitting passage of Resolution 2334.
Shapiro asks to remain as a private individual until the end of the school year, a request that requires US State Department approval. He would be required to vacate the official residence in Herzliya Pituach to permit the incoming ambassador to move in. This will only occur after the appointment receives Senate approval.
Once approved, Friedman will most likely arrive in Israel in February or March 2017.
When asked to comment on the report, US officials explained they are not in the habit of responding regarding private matters.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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13 Responses
The protocol is to avoid having the “ex-ambassador” remain in country to avoid any confusion with the host government or back-channel communications with his former contacts. In this case, there will be no confusion once Freidman takes up the position. Shapiro is a real mensch and friend of EY, even though he doesn’t set policy. I don’t anticipate there would be any problem with this request.
Israel should kick that stinking backstabbing weasel, Shapiro, out of their Country TODAY!
Throw the bum out. He represents obama.
Throw him out today
Replace him with Ben shapiro
Let him make ALIYA
He is NOT a professional diplomat and is not a career foreign service officer. He’s a political appointee who has spent his career working for the Democrats. When his tenure as ambassador ends, he is unemployed. He is hardly a career diplomat who will be reassigned. He therefore does not need State Department permission, though he does need Israeli permission to stay (he can get a tourist visa, his daughter can get a student visa).
Let him stay but he should live in East Jerusalem
To Nos. 2 and 3.
You show absolute ignorance with respect to the role of the U.S. ambassador in this administration. He is much more of a ministerial player, not a policy maker. Yes, he represents an unpopular president but just about all of the Israeli professional diplomats in the Foreign Ministry have the highest respect for him at a personal level and don’t display the animus you display. I suspect the new ambassador would be the first to urge the incoming administration to honor his request.
Get out !!
Condemned the West Bank policies, two standards of law, blah, blah. Were you once in Ramallah asking the Palestininas to once and for all recognize Israel, stop terror, stop propaganda and sit down to negotiate?
Of course not. Always Israel, always Bibi. Never, ever to pressure the other side to negotiate in good faith. Never. Ever.
Get out, and stay out !!
why not just just leave the guy alone and allow his daughter to finish the school year? i believe that personally he disagrees with the way obama is treating and has treated israel in the last 8 years. but, what is he supposed to do? his boss is obama and one of the key ingredients to maintain “job security” is to agree with the boss and do as you’re told. if you were him, you would behave the same way.
They should first shave off his goatee, and then send him flying!!!
Chaiml & all the other pacifists:
Exactly. The skunk, Shapiro, was “just following orders”! Hmmm, where have we heard that before?!
This self hating Jew refused to make any statement after 13 year old Yaffe Ariel was butchered in her sleep by a filthy Arab. After much pressure, this sellout made some embarrassing “condemnation” statement equivocating both sides, both sides, both sides! When si tut veiy, mir shriet! This bum has to wait till he gets his marching orders?! Pheh. Get out!