Donald Trump Taps One of His Lawyers as Ambassador to Israel David Friedman makes reference to moving U.S. embassy to Jerusalem By Damian Paletta
http://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-taps-one-of-his-lawyers-as-ambassador-to-israel-1481853239
WASHINGTON—President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday said he would nominate his longtime friend and lawyer David Friedman to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel, assigning a key confidant to a central diplomatic post.
Mr. Friedman, in a statement, said he was honored by the appointment and he looked “forward to doing this from the U.S. embassy in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem.”
That statement is certain to reverberate throughout the Middle East. The existing U.S. embassy in Israel is in Tel Aviv. Mr. Trump has said he wants to move it to Jerusalem, a pledge that former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush also made during their campaigns but eventually backed away from.
Liberal-leaning U.S. Jewish groups quickly lined up against the nomination. The lobbying group J Street said it “vehemently opposed” Mr. Friedman’s nomination and warned that he lacked any diplomatic or policy credentials and is “beyond the pale” of American views in the Middle East.
“This nomination is reckless, putting America’s reputation in the region and credibility around the world at risk,” said Jeremy Ben-Ami, the group’s president.
Palestinians have warned that moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem would make it more difficult to broker a resolution between the Israelis and Palestinians, and it has been perpetually delayed since a 1995 congressional legislation authorized the embassy to be moved there.
But Mr. Friedman’s selection could signal that Mr. Trump is planning to take a more assertive posture with the Palestinians. Mr. Friedman is known for making provocative statements about issues in the Mideast, even making an unsubstantiated claim in October that Hillary Clinton’s top aide, Huma Abedin, had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Many Republicans have repudiated this claim, but it became a popular accusation on social media and was embraced by Mrs. Clinton’s opponents.
Mr. Friedman is a founding partner of the law firm Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP, specializing in bankruptcy law. He had his bar mitzvah in Jerusalem 45 years ago, the Trump transition team said.
“His strong relationships in Israel will form the foundation of his diplomatic mission and be a tremendous asset to our country as we strengthen the ties with our allies and strive for peace in the Middle East,” Mr. Trump said in a statement.
President Barack Obama has had a chilly relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, particularly over the nuclear agreement with Iran reached by the U.S. and international powers.
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