“Israel's Voice in Washington”
Chosen for his extraordinary influence at the center of the most important strategic relationship Israel has: Yechiel Leiter entered 2026 as Israel's ambassador in Washington at a moment when virtually every major Israeli security and diplomatic challenge, Iran, Lebanon, Gaza and the future of U.S.-Israel defense cooperation, ran directly through the American capital.
Leiter officially assumed the ambassadorship in January 2025 after a career spanning government, policy and strategic advisory roles.
Today is the first step. This first step sometimes is the hardest one, but it's an important one.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, June 2026
This year, Leiter moved far beyond the traditional role of ambassador. He became one of Israel's principal negotiators in the emerging diplomatic process with Lebanon, participating in rare direct Israeli-Lebanese talks in Washington and meetings at the White House with President Donald Trump.
In June, Leiter signed a U.S.-brokered framework agreement with Lebanon, a potentially historic first step toward reducing hostilities, weakening Hezbollah's military grip and laying the groundwork for a more permanent arrangement between the two countries.
At the same time, Leiter has become a critical link between Jerusalem and Washington during a period of unprecedented military coordination against Iran. As the United States and Israel confronted Tehran directly in 2026, Leiter publicly described Israel as America's "junior partner" and a "model ally," while working inside Washington to maintain alignment between the Trump administration and the Israeli government.
His influence also extends to the long-term architecture of the alliance. In May, Israel and the United States formally began negotiations on a new defense-cooperation framework to replace the current 10-year security assistance agreement, with Leiter working in close coordination with the Israeli team, potentially helping define the U.S.-Israel security relationship for the next decade.
For Leiter, the mission is also intensely personal. His eldest son, Major Moshe Yedidya Leiter, was killed fighting in Gaza in November 2023, a loss that Leiter has said shaped his decision to accept Netanyahu's request to represent Israel in Washington.
From representing Israel during the confrontation with Iran to sitting across the table from Lebanon and helping shape the next generation of the U.S.-Israel alliance, Yechiel Leiter has emerged as one of Israel's most consequential diplomatic figures.
That is why Yechiel Leiter is No. 10 on The 36.