Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, welcomed on Tuesday night the Senate's confirmation of Chuck Hagel to be secretary of defense.

“Israel looks forward to working closely with Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. Under the Obama Administration, security ties between the United States and Israel have been superb. We are fully confident that those bonds will grow stronger still as our countries continue to meet common challenges to our security,” Oren wrote on his Facebook page.