President Joe Biden’s Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides landed in Israel early Monday morning, ten months after Biden entered office.

Nides posted a video expressing his excitement about his new position and said he will be residing in Jerusalem. According to a diplomatic source quoted by The Jerusalem Post, he will be living in a rented home and not at the US-owned building on Agron Street which previously served as a consulate for Palestinians.

Former ambassador David Friedman lived at the Agron Street building in the last months of his position after the former ambassador’s home in Herzliya Pituach was sold as part of the embassy’s move to Jerusalem under former President Donald Trump.

However, the diplomatic source said that Nide’s rental home is not related to the US plan to reopen the consulate because the Agron Street building was only a temporary home for Friedman since it is not appropriate for an ambassador’s residence.

Nides said that he’ll be in quarantine for the next couple of days in accordance with the latest COVID guidelines.

Please join us in warmly welcoming @USAmbIsrael Tom Nides to Israel! 🇺🇸🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/vkhOatB9nL

— U.S. Embassy Jerusalem (@usembassyjlm) November 29, 2021

New @USAmbIsrael Tom Nides in Israel, including having a Covid check after his landing. pic.twitter.com/wYMP6udJGb

— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) November 29, 2021

Proud to greet @USAmbIsrael upon his arrival to @Israel . My colleagues at @IsraelMFA and I look forward to working with you and the whole team at @usembassyjlm on expanding and deepening our alliance. #welcometoIsrael pic.twitter.com/WKn5rZCYLX

— David Levy (@DavidLevyIL) November 29, 2021

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)