(Reuters) – U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides will leave his post this summer after nearly two years in the country, a State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Nides has led the Biden administration’s engagement with the top American ally in the Middle East amid political turmoil in Israel and rising violence in the occupied West Bank.
The spokesperson said in emailed comments that Nides had indicated his intention to step down in the summer, but the spokesperson did not specify the reason for his departure.
Deputy Chief of Mission Stephanie Hallett will assume his responsibilities until a new ambassador can take up the role, the spokesperson said.
“Tom Nides has worked with energy, passion and skill to further strengthen the unique bond between the United States and Israel, and to advance U.S. diplomatic, economic, and security interests,” the spokesperson said.
Axios, citing U.S. officials, reported that Nides had notified senior staff at the Embassy in Jerusalem early on Tuesday that he wanted to return to the United States for personal reasons.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington and Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; writing by Simon Lewis and Leslie Adler)
