Netanyahu appoints backer of illegal Israeli settlements as envoy to US

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed Yechiel Leiter, a staunch supporter of illegal Israeli settlements and Israel’s war on Gaza, as the new ambassador to the US.

The appointment came just after former President Donald Trump was announced as being elected for a second term in the White House, with his inauguration in January.

The newly appointed envoy was born in the US but is a resident of an illegal Israeli settlement near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, where he moved four decades ago and pushes for the expansion of such settlements.

Netanyahu announced his position in a statement adding that he is a "highly talented diplomat, eloquent speaker, who has a deep understanding of American culture and politics".

Both Netanyahu and Leiter have worked together previously, serving as chief of staff when Netanyahu was finance minister. Leiter was also an aide to the late Prime Minister Ariel Sharon during the time when he was a member of Knesset.

Leiter will assume his new role on 20 January, replacing the current ambassador, Michael Herzog.

His new appointment was praised by Israel Ganz, the head of the Yesha Council, a body for Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Previously, Leiter has campaigned for further annexation of the West Bank, supporting illegal settlements in many cities, particularly in Hebron. He also founded the US based charity One Israel Fund, an organisation which provides security equipment and financial assistance for settlements.

According to Haaretz, Leiter previously served as a member of the Jewish Defence League, an organisation founded by a far-right rabbi. The group was designated as a terrorist organisation by the US, which was later lifted in 2022 due to the group being inactive.

Leiter, who’s son died in fighting in north Gaza last year, has applauded Trump’s Abraham accords, stating that normalisation between Arab states and Israel has split the Muslim world over the Palestinian cause.

At his son’s funeral, Leiter called on Joe Biden to halt pressure on Israel to cease the war on Gaza and called the offensive on the Strip a "war of light against darkness, truth against lies, of civility against murderous Barbarism".

The appointment comes as Israel Gaza has killed at least 43,552 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023 and wounded over 102,765 others in the same time frame. Israel has also killed at least 3,136 in Lebanon since October 2023.