Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, is marking a year since he took office.
In a post on social media on Sunday, Leiter outlined some of the historic moments he has witnessed in the past year.
“This week will mark one year since I arrived to Washington D.C. to serve as the Israeli ambassador to the United States. It was a crucial year - for Israelis and Americans alike - and I often found myself witnessing historic moments," he wrote, before detailing some unforgettable memories from his first year in office.
The first memory showed a photo of Leiter’s first meeting President Donald Trump. “I presented my credentials to him and said: ‘I am here to represent the nation of Israel, and the right of the Jewish people to their indigenous land.’ There have been many more meetings in the Oval Office since, but I always come back to the very first thing I said - the purpose of my work ever since."
“A few months into my posting, on May 21st 2025, a gunman took to the street near the Capital Jewish Museum, and murdered two young employees of the embassy: Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky z"l. Those weeks were a painful time for all of us, but through that darkness shone a light of American friendship," continued Leiter as he noted the second memorable event.
“A few days later, we stood on the steps of Congress, and honored their memory together with Speaker Johnson, Minority Leader Jeffries, and legislators from both sides of the aisle. Sarah and Yaron were the best of us, and we have been working to keep their light shining ever since the day we lost them."
“June 2025 will be written about in the history books - operation Rising Lion in Iran, together with America's Midnight Hammer, have set back years of Iranian nuclear and ballistic build-up and development," continued Leiter. “In the midst of that, I was invited by Iran International and American Abroad Media to speak at a town-hall gathering. It was viewed by many millions in Iran, who later said it gave them hope and confidence."
“Our message was, and still is, clear: Israel will not allow terrorists to threaten its existence, and neither should the rest of the world," he wrote.
Leiter posted a video of an interview he gave to Jake Tapper on CNN and wrote, “One of my biggest motivations in my work is the memory of my son, Moshe z"l, who fell into a Hamas booby-trap in Gaza while scanning terror tunnels. When telling our story, like in this interview with Jake Tapper, the part he played in history can't be forgotten."
“People like him have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and our people, the least the rest of us can do is contribute our part to this effort."
“In October 2025, President Trump brokered the 20-point plan to a ceasefire in Gaza, securing the return of all living hostages, and most of those whose bodies were abducted," recalled Ambassador Leiter.
“When we welcomed him to Israel, he shook my hand and told me: ‘Your son is looking down at you with a smile. You know that, right?’ I responded, ‘Mr. President, my son and his colleagues began the fight for the release of our hostages and now you and prime minister Netanyahu are completing the task, G-d bless you.’"
“I will never forget the gravity of that moment, and of the days to follow."
“We were fortunate enough to witness the fruits of our labor up-close, and host a delegation of the released hostages and their families at the embassy in November," continued the Ambassador.
“Speaking to these extraordinary people and seeing them smile was a dream come true - this is what we worked so hard to achieve, and they finally came home."
Finally, he wrote, “We closed off the year in Mar-a-Lago, with a highly productive visit of PM Netanyahu. Many meetings happened over those few days, but one of them was less talked-about: we sat down with Christian leaders for a conversation about the deep, historic ties between our nations - and their roots in our faith."
“The Christian community has been an immense ally to Israel over the years, and especially since October 7th. Every conversation with them is another reminder that what we have in common is much stronger than that which divides us," stated Leiter.
Concluding the post, he wrote, “I've been very lucky to find myself in this position in the last year - working for the people of Israel, while meeting with, and living the reality of Americans. Here's to the future of the great friendship between our nations, and our peoples."