Ambassador Samuel W. Lewis, 1930-2014

Sam Lewis (ADST)

Ambassador Samuel W. Lewis, retired US diplomat and Ambassador to Israel, has died at the age of 83. Lewis served as Ambassador to Israel from 1977-1985, under both Presidents Carter and Reagan, the longest tenure of any US Ambassador to Israel. During his diplomatic career he also served as Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs and Director of the Policy Planning Staff.

He was well known to many of us at MEI in his more active days; early in my tenure as Editor, I published an article by Sam Lewis in The Middle East Journal, Summer 1999, looking at the history of US-Israeli relations.

Though a longtime supporter of Israel, Ambassador Lewis was a strong advocate for a negotiated settlement, serving on Advisory Boards of the Israel Policy Forum and, more recently, J Street.

UPDATE: The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training tells the story of Ariel Sharon's effort to get rid of Sam Lewis.  If we are judged by the enemies we make ....