U.S. Vice President Mike Pence administered the oath of office on Wednesday to attorney David Friedman, who is now the official American Ambassador to Israel.
President Donald Trump nominated Friedman to the post on his first day in office. The Senate confirmed that nomination last week by a vote of 52 to 46.
Friedman has long been a strong supporter of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, and personally owns a home in Jerusalem.
The son of an Orthodox rabbi, Friedman has also been a strong supporter of the United Hatzolah emergency response service. He served as Trump’s bankruptcy lawyer prior to his election to the White House.
Officials in the Trump administration said several months ago that Friedman would serve in his post from Jerusalem, rather than work from the U.S. Embassy building in Tel Aviv. Now that he’s been sworn in, the question of where the new ambassador will carry on his daily affairs is likely to again be raised.