BICOM

The US President-elect has named a former bankruptcy lawyer and a supporter of West Bank settlements as his choice to become the next US ambassador to Israel.

Donald Trump announced yesterday that David Friedman is his pick to become his representative in Israel. Trump said Friedman “has been a long-time friend and trusted advisor to me”.

He added: “His strong relationships in Israel will form the foundation of his diplomatic mission and [will] be a tremendous asset to our country as we strengthen the ties with our allies and strive for peace in the Middle East”.

Friedman is thought to have a 15-year association with Trump as a lawyer. During the election campaign, Friedman served as an advisor to Trump on Israel and Jewish community issues. In a statement, Friedman said he would work tirelessly to “strengthen the unbreakable bond between our two countries and advance the cause of peace within the region”.

He added that he “look[s] forward to doing this from the US embassy in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem,” indicating that he will work to fulfil Trump’s campaign pledge to relocate the US mission from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Such a move would anger the Palestinians.

Friedman is an advocate of settlement building in the West Bank. He is the president of American Friends of Bet El Institutions, an organisation which supports a settlement near Ramallah.

He has also indicated that he will not necessarily promote a two-state solution. In a Times of Israel interview last month, Friedman said the “two-state solution is not a priority” for Trump, and that “I don’t think he is wed to any particularly outcome. A two-state solution is a way, but it’s not the only way”.

Friedman’s nomination has been criticised by left-leaning American Jewish groups, some of which he has sharply clashed with previously.

The National Jewish Democratic Council said: “[There] hasn’t ever been a less experienced pick for US ambassador to Israel.”