(JTA) — Top White House Middle East adviser Dan Shapiro is reportedly set to be tapped to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Israel.
President Obama plans to nominate Shapiro, the National Security Council’s senior director for the Middle East and North Africa, Laura Rozen reported Tuesday in her Politico blog, citing unnamed administration sources.
Shapiro reportedly has a good relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and accompanied U.S. Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell on several diplomatic shuttle missions to Israel. He also speaks fluent Hebrew.
Shapiro served as a key White House point of contact for the Jewish community and helped head up Jewish outreach for the Obama campaign.
He would replace James Cunningham, who has served in the envoy’s post for three years.
