WASHINGTON, 20 July — Daniel Kurtzer, the first Orthodox Jew to serve as US ambassador to Israel, took up his new post yesterday.

Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres met Kurtzer at Tel Aviv’s international airport.

Kurtzer, a career diplomat, has served as ambassador to Egypt since January 1998 and has spent more than 20 years as a Middle East specialist. He previously served at the US Embassy in Israel in 1982 as a political officer.

At a swearing-in ceremony in Washington this week, Secretary of State Colin Powell said he was sending Kurtzer to “build bridges over troubled waters” on “one of the most difficult assignments imaginable.”

Inside Washington wonders how long it will take before the US appoints an American-Arab to such a prestigious, and significant, post.

A cynical charade

“Why would you pay hard cash for something you could easily get free of charge?

“That is the question which exposes the cynical charade by Rep. Gary Condit, California Democrat, when he paid for a private lie-detector test. The police had already asked to give him a lie-detector test. Had he refused, the headlines would have read: ‘Condit refuses lie detector.’ Instead, the headlines read: ‘Condit passes lie detector,’ though who knows under what conditions or after how many tries or with how much coaching?” writes nationally syndicated columnist Thomas Sowell.

“It was a clever ploy by Mr. Condit and his lawyer. But what does that say about his purpose? Despite all the talk about ‘cooperating fully,’ it means that, more than two months after Chandra Levy disappeared, Mr. Condit is still playing games.

“One part of these games is the sickly smile the congressman shows when the media are around. This is part of an old political spin game. Richard Nixon used it when he left the White House in disgrace in 1974, pausing in front of the helicopter to strike a happy, triumphant pose,” notes Sowell.

“Bad as that was, there was nobody missing and no one whose life might be hanging in the balance. But that is the grim reality today, while Congressman Gary Condit wears his media smile. Clearly he is someone with no sense of shame, or even decency.

“If he had any real concern for the fate of Chandra Levy, the time to tell all was right after she disappeared, when there might have been some hope of finding her before it was too late. Sometimes one person’s clue can be put together with others and lead the police in the right direction.

“None of this connects Mr. Condit with her disappearance or with whatever may have happened to her afterward. But neither does his conduct inspire confidence that his concern is with helping to have her found,” says Sowell.

“His stalling and evasiveness may reflect nothing more than a politicians’ top priority in keeping his job. But, even at that, what does it say about some politicians?

“If nothing else comes out of this tragic story, it should give pause to those who speak so loftily about ‘public service’ as somehow nobler than business or commerce or other ways of making a living. Politicians are not larger than life. As human beings they are often smaller than life and more warped.

“They are not all like Congressman Condit. At least we can hope so. But far too many seem to be. Since we cannot have anarchy, we must have government officials. But we have no duty to glamorize them. Or excuse them,” concludes Sowell.

‘The country comes first’

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York Democrat, wants everyone to know how much she loves being a senator — and what a sacrifice she is making.

“I love what I’m doing. I love every minute. Being in the Senate is the most exciting experience in the world for me. I can’t tell you how much I love it,” Mrs. Clinton told New York Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams. “The only problem I have is there’s simply no down time. For me. For friends. To maybe have a day with the girls and just laugh . I’m finding it hard to have any time.  The best I can do is stay in touch by phone,” said Mrs. Clinton.