The confirmation ends a nearly 10-month period in which Washington had no ambassador in Israel. Former President Donald Trump’s envoy, David Friedman, stepped down in January but the Biden administration took its time with the post, eventually naming veteran diplomat Michael Ratney to serve as interim chargé d’affaires until the confirmation process was finalized.

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Thomas Nides as President Joe Biden’s nominee for ambassador to Israel.

Nides, who is the managing director and vice chairman of Morgan Stanley, was confirmed by a voice vote in the Senate, which is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.

The confirmation ends a nearly 10-month period in which Washington had no ambassador in Israel. Former President Donald Trump’s envoy, David Friedman, stepped down in January but the Biden administration took its time with the post, eventually naming veteran diplomat Michael Ratney to serve as interim chargé d’affaires until the confirmation process was finalized.

Nides was born to a Jewish family in Duluth, Minnesota. He started his career on Capitol Hill in various positions, including as assistant to the House majority whip and executive assistant to the speaker of the House. He later spent a decade as chief of staff for several members of Congress before pivoting to the banking sector in 1996.

In his confirmation hearing at the Senate Foreign Relation Committee, he said that replenishing Israel’s Iron Dome missile-defense system is in the best interest of American national security.

“This is a defensive mechanism. It is to stop rockets from raining in on Israel. We are supportive of the replenishment and it is in our national security interest,” said Nides, in a hearing that took place in September.

He said that the president supports Iron Dome funding, which supports “a very important ally in the region.”

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan congratulated Nides, saying he was sure the new envoy “will further strengthen the special bond between Israel and the U.S.”

According to Israel Hayom, Nides was confirmed in a voice vote on the Senate floor after Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) filed reservations to the nomination, blocking Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Robert Menendez from fast-tracking the process via a unanimous vote.

The Missouri senator said that he objected on behalf of his Republican colleagues to Nides, along with seven other nominees, presented for confirmation by Menendez. The latter blasted the move, saying, “So we will have no ambassador in Israel as we deal with the challenges of Iran and others in the region. It is mind-boggling all of those who get up here and talk about our ally, the State of Israel, but we won’t have an ambassador there to help us meet the challenges that Israel faces.”

The Israel Policy Forum also called out the Republicans over the ploy, said in a statement: “A strong U.S.-Israel relationship requires strong diplomatic representation, allowing both sides to work in close partnership and resolve disagreements amicably. We are dismayed that Tom Nides, who is unquestionably qualified to serve as ambassador to Israel, continues to be blocked from a swift confirmation on the Senate floor. We call on the Senate to act so that Mr. Nides can begin the critical task of representing the U.S. and its interests in Jerusalem.”

“All of us at U.S. Embassy Jerusalem eagerly await the arrival of Thomas R. Nides to be Ambassador of the United States to the State of Israel,” the mission tweeted after the nomination was confirmed.

Nides’ confirmation cames as Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Matt McKeon confirmed on Wednesday that the U.S. administration is seeking to reopen the U.S. Consulate for Palestinians in its original location in Jerusalem.

McKeon was grilled by Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), co-chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus, during his testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and asked whether he was involved in planning the reopening of the consulate.

McKeon confirmed that he was, telling Zeldin that the administration was contemplating opening the consulate at a facility already owned by the United States on Agron Road in Jerusalem in the western half of the city.

“Already having a site that the United States owned is an important factor in this because having to go find a different site could be a challenge,” he said. “The main purpose of this consulate—and the main reason we want to use the one on Agron Road—is that [it]is the mechanism through which we have engaged the Palestinians in the past and for well over a century before it was closed. That’s what’s driving our decision-making on that.”