President Obama has chosen Daniel Shapiro, a senior adviser who has helped shape the administration’s response to the political upheavals in the Middle East and North Africa, as the United States ambassador to Israel, the White House said Wednesday.
Mr. Shapiro, who served on Mr. Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, is a senior director for the Middle East and North Africa at the National Security Council.
The ambassador position requires Senate confirmation.
As popular revolts toppled leaders in Egypt and Tunisia and spread to Libya and other countries, Mr. Shapiro has been part of a small group of advisers devising a policy that tries to protect American interests in the region while also supporting democratic aspirations.
Mr. Shapiro has worked closely with the president’s Middle East envoy, George J. Mitchell, on efforts to revive the stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
{NY Times/Matzav.com Newscenter}
