U.S. Senate confirms Jacob Lew as ambassador to Israel

The U.S. Senate voted largely along party lines on Tuesday to confirm Jacob Lew as the country's next ambassador to Israel.

Lew, former treasury secretary during the Barack Obama administration, was confirmed by the upper chamber in a 53-43 vote, with two Republicans breaking with their party and joining all the Democrats in approving his nomination.

Nominated by U.S. President Joe Biden in September, Lew will face the mounting task of tackling the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas when he assumes his first ever ambassadorial post.

The United States has been without a Senate-confirmed ambassador for Israel since the former envoy, Thomas Nides, left this summer. Lew's confirmation process has been expedited in the face of the Israel-Hamas conflict.