Senior officials in the coalition claim that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has backed down from the intention to appoint Minister May Golan of the Likud to the position of Consul General of Israel in New York in place of Asaf Zamir.
Golan tweeted in English earlier this week, “I am very flattered to be considered for the post of Israel’s consul general in NY.”
“I want to assure everyone that if I will be appointed, I will represent 100% the mainstream policies of PM Netanyahu and the Likud party to which I belong.”
“I am completely committed to the unity of the Jewish people, and that is the exact policy that I will follow.”
“If appointed, I will work with the leaders of all the Jewish organizations – as part of the effort to strengthen the great partnership between Israel and the American Jewish communities,” wrote Golan.
It appears as though Jewish leaders from the left, as well as some officials in the government, expressed concern that the appointment of the minister as a consul general could deteriorate the relations between the two countries and should be avoided.
US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel was asked on Thursday about the possible appointment of Golan and specifically about comments she has made in the past against African migrants who have infiltrated southern Tel Aviv in recent years.
“Broadly, we would condemn such kind of rhetoric and believe that such kind of language is also particularly damaging when it”s amplified in leadership positions,” Patel replied.
The position of Israeli consul general in New York became vacant when Zamir resigned from the post in protest over the dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Zamir, who had been appointed to the role by the previous Foreign Minister, Yair Lapid, had previously warned US Jewish donors against the Israeli government”s planned judicial reform.
Following those comments, Zamir was summoned by the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem.