Much can be said about US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides, but he's no icy diplomat. As soon as he enters the room, he tosses his jacket aside, and a second later he stretches out on a lounge chair, his long legs propped up on a nearby table. He's relaxed, a people person, someone who knows everyone. One of them, with whom he has been talked frequently lately, is former American Ambassador David Friedman. Despite the enormous differences between Trump and Biden staffers, the two have managed to maintain open and effective communication channels.
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By American standards, the US Embassy compound in Jerusalem isn't up to snuff for its lofty status, but Nides praises his predecessor for leading the historic move to relocate it from Tel Aviv. On the other hand, Friedman was the one who moved the ambassador's residence from Herzliya to Agron St. in Jerusalem, with the goal of establishing an ambassador's residence in the capital, as American law dictates, but also to make sure that the Agron compound would not revert to an American consulate serving the Palestinians.
The gambit worked, and thus far, the Biden administration has not managed to reopen the consulate. But all that comes at a price. From the time he arrived in Israel until very recently, Nides had to live in a hotel, and hated every minute of it. So he's enjoying his new residence, which the US government leased for him the city's German Colony.
Every facial expression and every time he mentions Jerusalem, and he does so frequently, reveals that Nides is in love with the city. Rumor has it that he often visits the Western Wall to pray for a friend who is battling cancer. Nides is a passionate Jew, whose identity prompted him to choose the role of ambassador to Israel.
"I grew up in Minnesota and I grew up as a Reform Jew … this kind of environment that being a Jew was about caring about Israel, caring about what this place stands for. I've been in government, I've been in business. When they asked me what I wanted to do, this is the one thing I wanted to do. Because this place is real. Everyone cares about it. It's something I care deeply about, personally. I've been involved in these issues for my whole career, both at the State Department, on Capitol Hill, in two administrations. So it was for me, it wasn't just a job, it was 'Wow,' it was an opportunity to be engaged in something that I think is really important," Nides tells Israel Hayom.
A diplomat, but not only
Preparations for US President Joe Biden's upcoming visit, scheduled to begin on July 13, are the main thing on his calendar right now. Apart from visiting Yad Vashem, the President's Residence, and the Prime Minister's Residence, the embassy team is also trying to locate people Biden met on his visit to Israel 50 years ago, when he was a young senator. Both the White House and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office are hinting that the visit will entail a major diplomatic development between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and Nides gives the impression that something is about to happen.
"Joe Biden loves Israel. This will be … his 10th visit to Israel. He calls himself a Zionist, he's been here, and has [met] with every leader since Golda Meir, and he cares deeply about the security of the State of Israel. And this trip will emphasize his unbreakable ties to Israel, and, if he comes, will spend time both in Israel and the West Bank. His bonds are with the Israeli people and with the Palestinian people."
Q: What is the purpose of the Saudi leg of Biden's visit, and what does it have to do with Israel?
"The Saudi piece of the trip is part of national security for the region. And it's important for the long-term security for Israel that we have strong bilateral relations between the United States and the Saudis, and also making sure the regional relationships are strong, that's what the president's objective of this trip will be. Not only to come to Israel and reinforce the unbreakable ties, but also strengthen the regional framework with Saudi Arabia and to help bridge, hopefully, the pathway to better relationships between Saudi Arabia and Israel."
Q: Officially, Israel and the Saudis do not have relations, and you said "strengthen" them.
"Yeah. To beginning the pathway of strengthening those ties, hopefully that will help, but most importantly is, again, the reinforcement of the regional connections, regional security, for the Middle East vis-à-vis Iran, vis-à-vis the security of other countries, that's the objective of the president's visit."
Q: Since the current administration took office, your intention has been to go back to the JCPOA. It looks like that's failed. What's your plan B? Iran has crossed all red lines, everybody knows it. What are you going to do? If there's no JCPOA, how are we going to stop Iran?
"Well, first of all, we have a desire to resolve this issue diplomatically. There's no question about it, we would like to resolve it diplomatically. But as President Biden has said many times, he will not stand by to let the Iranians obtain a nuclear weapon, which means that we work very closely with the Israelis and our allies and, as the president has said multiple times, all options are on the table. … The president is also being very clear: We are not compromising on the FTL [US list of foreign terrorist entities]. That was made quite clear. So the ball is in the Iranians' court."
Q: As far as I remember, at least in recent weeks or months, Biden hasn't mentioned a military option, and I don't even remember him saying recently that "all options are on the table." So is there military option in case there is no diplomatic one? Is that on the table, as well?
"I'll leave it at all options are on the table. It's not my position, as the American ambassador to Israel, to threaten. My point is, we'll continue to … do everything we can to make sure Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon."
Talking, not demanding
Like many of Biden's people, including the president himself, Nides held a senior role in the administration of former US President Barack Obama. Even though the different outlooks on the Iran issue, and even more so the Palestinians, remain the same, this time the Americans are determined not to spoil the atmosphere with Israel. The Israeli side also wants quiet with Washington, and both sides are satisfied with the results, having both swallowed a number of toads.
Q: On April 15, the US Embassy announced that all sides needed to maintain quiet ahead of the coinciding holidays of Passover, Easter, and Eid al-Fitr. But why did it feel the need to reach out to "all sides," if only one isn't trying to maintain calm, is carrying out terrorist attacks, or using Al-Aqsa Mosque for violent purposes?
"As you've probably also seen in tweets of mine, I went to 14 families who have been affected and destroyed by terrorist attacks. I've gone to every family's house, from Beersheba to Bnei Brak to Nazareth. I've called out the terrorists, I've called out the murderous behavior. You know, I have no patience for outrageous disgusting behavior, and until you sit in a family's home, and grasp the hand of the girlfriend who just lost her 27-year-old fiancé, you can't appreciate the pain these people are going through. I continue to call out the behavior and I feel very strongly about it. And I think if you look at my Twitter account, you'll see my outrage and disgust at that behavior."
Q: Sure. But again, a formal announcement appealing to all sides, it's not balanced, it's not fair.
"My outrage and disgust around acts of terror are clear, ok? At the same time, I can call for calm. Do I believe I'd like to have calm on Temple Mount? Sure! For the first time in 30 years, the three holidays happened at the same time, Pesach [Passover], and Ramadan, and Easter … I don't think anyone wants to have violence … To ask people to stay calm on the Temple Mount, during very religious holidays for all religions, that's my job as the American ambassador."
Q: Do Jews have the right to pray on the Temple Mount?
"I support the status quo, which by the way, has been supported, for a long period of time, by both former Prime Minister Netanyahu and current Prime Minister Bennett."
Q: As an American who supports freedom of religion, why shouldn't Jews be allowed to practice their religion at the most holy place for their faith?
"I'm not in the position to determine my personal views, or not. My view is very simple: we [the US] support the status quo on the Temple Mount."
Q: Jews have been praying at the Temple Mount for at least two years, even more.
"Again, I don't visit the Temple Mount. My point is, both the current and former prime ministers support the current status quo, of what goes on up there, and we continue to support that, as well."
Q: You announced you were opening an office for Palestinian affairs. Does this mean the US is giving up the intention to reopen the US consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem?
"No. We are not giving up on it. We'll keep pushing and discussing with the Israeli government to open the consulate. In the meantime, the office of Palestinian affairs will report to Washington. Obviously, I play an important role in all that, I work hand in hand with them."
Q: Is it possible that the US will impose or demand, not ask, that Israel reopen the consulate? Even if, for example, the government here changes.
"Regardless of who the government is, our relationship is with the Israeli people. We'll work with the government whatever government is there. The current government, future governments, and we'll ask for the same thing. We don't demand things of Israel. We talk to Israel. They are our ally, they are our friend. You don't demand things of friends, you have conversations with friends. You work through issues and you work through problems, and that's what we'll do."
The visa race
Nides talks a lot about "Israeli friends," and during his time in Israel he has learned that one of the most important issues for those friends is Israel joining the US visa waiver program.
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"I'm working day and night to try to get this done. It's complicated, but I'm working with [Interior] Minister Ayelet Shaked quite closely, she's very focused on this. There's a lot of things Israelis need to do legislatively through the Knesset, which we are working on. There's a reason why people have been trying to do this for 15 years, and it hasn't gotten done. Maybe we can get it done this year."
Q: Shaked mentioned February 2023 as the target date.
"The time period to get done is this calendar year, the effective date would be next year in 2023. We need to get it basically done in this fiscal year, and the implementation of it will be next year. This is a herculean task, and I have a lot of people working on this. We're doing this for the Israeli people, to ease their ability to travel to the United States."
Q: Are we moving at the right pace to reach those deadlines?
"I think so, but the Knesset needs to vote on some very important things, they have to get that done and they are working on it. We're doing the work on our side, I've had hundreds of people come visit here from Washington, and we're doing our work, but much of this work still needs to be done on the Israeli side."
Q: It's almost impossible for Israelis to get an interview for a visa. And for Americans as well, to get an American passport. That's what I was told. The schedule is full for the year, if not more.
"We're facing the worst pandemic for 100 years, every embassy in the world is dramatically backed up. I believe this embassy does a much better job than most, but we are facing the same problems that many embassies face around the world where we have a huge demand that has built up over the last almost two and a half years, everyone wants to travel. And we're doing everything we can."
Q: You mentioned before that Joe Biden loves Israel. But what's going to happen when it comes to the Democratic Party and Israel?
" The vast majority of Democrats and Republicans support the State of Israel and most importantly, the security of the State of Israel. But like anything else, we've got to keep working at it, we've got to work at it all day long, every day, can never rest on your laurels."
