Netanyahu Appoints Yechiel Leiter as Israel's Ambassador to U.S. Hardline Settler, Ex-member of Far-right Kahanist Group
Leiter, a right-wing writer affiliated with Kohelet Forum, supports West Bank annexation and was once active in Kahane's Jewish Defense League. His son died in combat in the Gaza war. The pick signals Netanyahu's intention to align with Israel's settler movement ahead of Trump's new term
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed Yechiel Leiter as Israel's ambassador to the U.S. Leiter, who will be replacing ambassador Michael Herzog, is considered close to Netanyahu and previously served as his chief of staff.
Leiter was born in the U.S. and immigrated to Israel four decades ago. He has been actively involved in supporting Jewish settlements in the West Bank, particularly in Hebron, currently lives in the settlement of Eli. His son Moshe was killed in combat in northern Gaza during the war, about a year ago.
"Yechiel Leiter is a talented diplomat, an articulate speaker, and has a deep understanding of American culture and politics. I am convinced he will represent the State of Israel in the best way, and wish him luck in his new role," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.
The post of ambassador to the U.S. is Leiter's first diplomatic job, after working for decades writing and researching at right-wing Israeli and American research institutes, including the Shalem Institute and Herzl Institute. He also served as a senior fellow at the Kohelet Policy forum, the organization that promoted legislation in 2023 aimed at weakening Israel's judiciary.
In his youth, Leiter was active in the Jewish Defense League, an organization founded in the U.S. by Rabbi Meir Kahane and later designated as a terrorist organization by U.S. authorities. He was part of a group of activists within the organization who eventually moved to live in settlements in the West Bank.
Leiter also knew Baruch Goldstein, another U.S. immigrant involved in JDL activities. In 1994, following the massacre carried out by Goldstein at the Cave of the Patriarchs, Leiter gave an interview to a Jewish-American newspaper describing Goldstein as "very close to Rabbi Kahane and regarded him as his rabbi." He mentioned having known Goldstein for a decade, during which they both lived in settlements in the Hebron area.
In the 1990s, he was an activist in the public campaign against the Oslo Accords. In 2020, he published an article advocating for the annexation of the West Bank by Israel. In 2023, three months before the Hamas attack on the Gaza border communities, he published an article on a right-wing Jewish website urging the Israeli government to bring about the collapse and dismantling of the Palestinian Authority, even if doing so would trigger a security crisis in the West Bank.
Another article by Leiter, also published on the Jewish News Syndicate website in 2023, discussed the warming relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia and the possibility of a normalization agreement between the two countries. He wrote that Saudi demands regarding the Palestinians during the negotiations were relatively modest and did not include an explicit call for the establishment of a Palestinian state. However, over the past year, amid the war in Gaza, Saudi Arabia's stance has hardened, with the kingdom consistently emphasizing that any agreement with Israel must include tangible progress toward a two-state solution.
Leiter is considered close to right-wing Jewish circles, including David Friedman, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Israel during the Trump administration and is seeking a significant role in a potential second Trump administration. Leiter's appointment signals Netanyahu's intent to advance a policy aligned with Israel's settler movement in coordination with the incoming Trump administration, including annexation of the West Bank. This approach could complicate the president-elect's efforts to broker a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Hadar Susskind, the CEO of Americans for Peace Now, a nonprofit whose stated aim is to find a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said that "Netanyahu has never been subtle, and this appointment is no different. Sending a Kahanist settler to Washington is a clear sign that Netanyahu and his government are moving toward their goal of annexation and doing so openly. We will continue to oppose his disastrous agenda."
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami said that "This choice is a concerning signal of the direction the Netanyahu-Trump alliance is going to take the moment Trump takes office. Just like last time, Trump and Netanyahu will promote annexation above peace, safety and democracy for Israelis, Palestinians and everyone else."
"Our hope is that Dr. Leiter will take the time to engage with and understand the concerns of the vast majority of the American Jewish community and Democratic Members of Congress, who are deeply concerned about Netanyahu's anti-democratic, annexationist agenda and the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. For the sake of a sustainable and strong U.S.-Israel relationship, this must be taken into account," he added.
