A Senate committee has been urged to carefully consider Donald Trump’s nomination for ambassador to Israel, saying that he is an “extremist” who is unqualified for the job. In a letter sent to the Senate foreign relations committee, five former US ambassadors said that Trumps pick, hard liner David Friedman, had presented “extreme, radical positions” on Israel, supported illegal settlements and opposed a two-state solution for the Palestinian conflict. Middle East Eye reports: The committee began confirmation hearings on Thursday for Friedman, a Trump lawyer who has called for the US embassy to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and denounced progressive pro-Israel lobbyists as “worse than kapos” – a reference to Jews who served the Nazis in the death camps of World War Two. At his nomination hearing, Friedman backtracked on some of his earlier statements saying that the language he used during the campaign had been rightly criticised. “I regret use of such language,” said Friedman. “The inflammatory rhetoric during the presidential campaign is entirely over. If confirmed my language would be measured.” “There is no excuse for my offensive comments. I deeply regret them. They don’t reflect my character,” added Friedman. Friedman hearing in minute 35 interrupted by protester [...]
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