Thomas Pickering, a career diplomat, was confirmed by the Senate last week as the new U.S. Ambassador to Israel. Pickering, 53, whose last assignment was Ambassador to El Salvador, was among a group of envoys whose confirmation was held up by a small group of conservative Senators led by Sen. Jesse Helms (R. NC). He joined the foreign service in 1959 and served as U.S. Ambassador to Jordan from 1974-76. Pickering will succeed Samuel Lewis who ended an eight-year term as Ambassador to Israel in May.
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