President-elect Donald Trump has tipped attorney David Friedman to be his top diplomat in Israel. Many of his positions are contradictory to standing US policy. Tania Krämer reports from Jerusalem.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/T. Abayov
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David Friedman was already introduced as a favorite for the post of US ambassador to Israel at a Republicans Abroad campaign event in Jerusalem this past October. The 57-year-old bankruptcy lawyer has worked with Donald Trump for years and advised him on all issues related to Israel. Now, two months later, the US president-elect has confirmed his choice. On Thursday, Trump said that Friedman "has been a longtime friend and trusted advisor to me." Adding, "his strong relationships in Israel will form the foundation of his diplomatic mission."
Friedman is considered to be a hardliner and an advocate of Israel's settlement policies in the occupied West Bank. All previous US administrations - both Republican and Democrat - have criticized the building of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as an impediment to the establishment to an independent Palestinian state. Friedman also has a different take on the two-state solution that has been the cornerstone of US foreign policy. Before the election, Friedman said that the US was not bound to the two-state solution and would not "push Israel to do something that it might not want to do."
Prior to the election, Friedman also penned an opinion piece in the "Jerusalem Post," a daily newspaper, writing, "under president Trump, Israel will feel no pressure to make self-defeating concessions, America and Israel will enjoy unprecedented military and strategic cooperation, and there will be no daylight between the two countries." Beyond being a prominent New York lawyer, Friedman, who speaks fluent Hebrew, is known for his work as the chairman of an American organization that supports the Jewish Beit El settlement near the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the West Bank.
Congratulations from settlers' representatives
Settlers' representatives were among the first to extend their congratulations, although his nomination must be confirmed by the US Senate. The speaker of the Yesha Council, Oded Revivi, praised Friedman's deep connection with Israel and its people, also those who live in "Judea and Samaria." Judea and Samaria are biblical terms for what is today the West Bank. Thus far, the only Israeli politician to comment has been Tzipi Hotovely, who called Trump's pick "good news for Israel."
David Friedman (below left) campaigned for US Republicans in IsraelImage: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Sultan
Observers in Israel pointed out that as ambassador, Friedman will be responsible for carrying out the policies of his boss, and that the incoming Trump administration has yet to make known its plans for the region. Liberal and progressive Jewish organizations in the United States voiced strong criticism over the nomination. For instance, the Jewish organization J Street called the appointment irresponsible, saying that it would harm America's reputation in the region and its credibility throughout the world. A few months ago, Friedman said that the organization's members were "far worse than the kapos," a reference to Jews assigned to supervise other prisoners in Nazi concentration camps.
Moving the embassy to Jerusalem
Friedman himself has said that he intends "to work tirelessly to strengthen the unshakable bond" between Israel and the US and "advance the cause of peace in the region." Adding that he is looking forward to doing so "from the US Embassy in Israel's eternal capital, Jerusalem." His emphasis on the fact that he intends to do his job from Jerusalem - and not Tel Aviv as all of his predecessors have done - has given rise to speculation within Israel that president-elect Trump will make good on his campaign promise to move the US embassy to Jerusalem.
That would break yet another taboo of existing US foreign policy. Until now, the US, and most other foreign nations, have refused to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The US State Department has made clear that Jerusalem's status can only be negotiated within the framework of a peace treaty. That is why the US embassy has always been located in Tel Aviv.
Campaign posters for Trump and his running mate Mike Pence near a West Bank settlementImage: Reuters/B. Ratner
"Moving the embassy won't be done by simply renting a building," wrote Israeli journalist Nahum Barnea in the "Yedioth Ahronoth" newspaper. "Which Jerusalem will Trump recognize: The smaller pre-1967 Jerusalem, or 'Greater Jerusalem,' with the neighborhoods and villages annexed from the Palestinian people?" Over the last several days, there have been a number of stories in the Israeli press reporting that the Trump transition team has begun looking for suitable areas and buildings for a new embassy in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem's future remains one of the thorniest issues in the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Palestinians envision East Jerusalem as the future capital of an independent Palestinian state. Observers say that moving the embassy could send the wrong signal, and possibly destroy Washington's already difficult role as a mediator. On December 1, President Obama signed a presidential waiver delaying the relocation of the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for another six months. This waiver has been regularly signed by every US president for the last two decades. The new ambassador will have to be patient before he can begin working from Jerusalem.
You're hired: Donald Trump's Cabinet
The spaces in Donald Trump's Cabinet are filling up. Most recently, the nominee for Secretary of the Interior was announced. DW takes a look at who the president-elect has tapped so far for the top jobs.
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Vice President: Mike Pence
Pence (57) is an experienced politician. After working as a lawyer and conservative talk radio host, he served for 12 years in the House of Representatives before becoming governor of Indiana in 2013. The father of three has strongly opposed abortion rights and same-sex marriage throughout his career. He has described himself as "a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order."
Image: Reuter/S. Morgan
Secretary of State: Rex Tillerson
The CEO of oil giant Exxon Mobil has close ties with Russian president Vladimir Putin - he was even awarded Russia's "Order of Friendship" in 2013. Despite this, and the Texan businessman's lack of experience in foreign policy, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee narrowly approved Tillerson's nomination.
Priebus (44), a lawyer and familiar face on the Wisconsin political scene, has served as director of the Republican National Committee since 2011. He has said that the Trump administration will aim to "create an economy that works for everyone, secure our borders, repeal and replace Obamacare and destroy radical Islamic terrorism."
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Secretary of the Treasury: Steven Mnuchin
After a long career on Wall Street at Goldman Sachs, Mnuchin (53) set up a hedge fund and made millions of dollars buying and rebranding a failed mortgage lender after the 2008 crash. He has since financed several Hollywood movies. Mnuchin wants to cut taxes for businesses and the middle class and will consider public-private partnerships to fund infrastructure projects.
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National Security Adviser: Michael Flynn
The retired Army general - and registered Democrat - was fired as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014. He has referred to Islamism as "a vicious cancer inside the body of 1.7 billion people on this planet" and his son, a Trump aide, recently lost his job for spreading a fake news story that claimed Hillary Clinton's allies were running a pedophile ring from a Washington pizzeria.
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Attorney General: Jeff Sessions
The Alabama Senator was one of the first members of Congress to endorse Trump. A former lawyer, Sessions (69) takes a hard line on immigration and strongly opposes legalizing of marijuana. Allegations of racism, including a former colleague's testimony that Sessions joked he thought the Ku Klux Klan were "okay, until I found out they smoked pot," cost him a potential federal judgeship in 1986.
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Secretary of Defense: James Mattis
During his 44-year military career, Mattis (66) earned nicknames like "Mad Dog" and "warrior monk." He led the US Central Command from 2011 to 2013, and was a key figure in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His appointment as Defense Secretary would depend on a waiver from the Senate, as US law requires that retired military personnel wait seven years before they can take up this role.
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Secretary of Homeland Security: John Kelly
Upon his retirement in January 2016, Kelly (66) was the longest serving Marine general in US history. As head of the US Southern Command, he was responsible for US military activity in South and Central America, which included oversight of the controversial Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba. Kelly's eldest son was killed in combat in Afghanistan in 2010.
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Secretary of the Interior: Ryan Zinke
The Montana lawmaker and former Navy SEAL commander had been expected to run for the Senate in 2018. Zinke (55) has advocated increased energy drilling and mining on federally controlled land. While skeptical about the urgency of climate change, he does believe it is important for the United States to invest in renewable energy. He describes himself as a "Teddy Roosevelt Republican."
Image: Reuters/N. McDermid
Director, National Intelligence: Dan Coats
The former Indiana senator was US ambassador to Germany from 2001 to 2005 under the George W. Bush administration. Coats (73) is considered a mainstream Republican and served on the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services committees. A vocal critic of Russia, he pushed for Moscow to be punished for its annexation of Crimea in 2014.
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Director, CIA: Mike Pompeo
The Kansas congressman is a member of the Republican Tea Party movement and a former Army tank officer. Pompeo (52) has defended the use of torture methods, such as waterboarding, and opposes the closure of the Guantanamo Bay prison. He once said that Edward Snowden, who exposed the National Security Agency's mass domestic surveillance program in 2013, deserved to receive the death penalty.
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Secretary of Energy: Rick Perry
The two-time presidential hopeful said during his 2012 run that, should he get into the White House, he would scrap the Department of Energy. Perry (66), who served as governor of Texas for 14 years, sits on the board for the parent company of Dakota Access LLC, which is pushing to build the controversial Dakota Access pipeline. He once called Trump a "cancer on conservatism."
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Chief Strategist: Stephen Bannon
The former chairman of right-wing website Breitbart News became Trump's campaign chief in August. His CV also includes stints as a naval officer, investment banker and Hollywood producer. Ben Shapiro, a former editor-at-large of Breitbart, described Bannon as "a nasty figure" and "a smarter version of Trump".
Image: Getty Images/K. Irwin
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Ben Carson
Carson, a retired neurosurgeon from Michigan, made his first foray into politics as one of Trump's rivals in the Republican presidential primary. During the campaign, Carson made controversial comments on topics such as evolution and climate change.
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Secretary of Commerce: Wilbur Ross
The investor and former banker made billions in restructuring failing companies in industries such as steel and coal, later investing in troubled European banks during the financial crisis. Ross, 79, was a vocal Trump supporter during the election campaign and believes the US needs a "more radical, new approach to government."
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US Trade Representative: Robert Lighthizer
Lighthizer served as deputy trade representative during Ronald Reagan's presidential administration. He returns to government after working as a lawyer for US steel companies for nearly three decades. Like Trump, the 71-year old has argued that the US needs to defend its economic interests against China more aggressively to reduce the US-China trade deficit.
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Secretary of Labor: Andy Puzder
Andy Puzder, chief executive of CKE Restaurants, which runs fast food chains Hardee's and Carl's Jr., has long argued against higher minimum wages and government regulation in the workplace. He has frequently criticized the new Labor Department rule that extends overtime pay to more than 4 million workers, and praised the benefits of automation in the fast food industry.
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Secretary of Education: Betsy DeVos
As a prominent figure in the "school choice" movement and chair of the American Federation for Children, DeVos is an advocate of charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately run. She is a long-time Republican Party donor and her father-in-law is Richard DeVos, the billionaire founder of US company Amway.
Image: Picture-Alliance/AP Photo/C. Kaster
Secretary of Transportation: Elaine Chao
In 2001, Chao was appointed Labor Secretary under George W. Bush, becoming the first woman of Asian descent to take a US Cabinet position. She previously worked in banking and as director of the Peace Corps, expanding its presence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Chao (63) immigrated to the USA from Taiwan at the age of eight and is now married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
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Secretary of Health and Human Services: Tom Price
The former orthopedic surgeon was elected to the House of Representatives in 2012 and named Budget Committee chair in 2015. Price, 62, is a staunch opponent of Obamacare, advocating a system based on medical savings accounts. Price has voted against federal funding for abortion and opposes gun control.
Image: Reuters/J. Roberts
Director, Environmental Protection Agency: Scott Pruitt
Over the past five years, the Oklahoma state attorney general - a vocal climate-change skeptic - has brought multiple lawsuits against the very organization he is now due to lead. Pruitt said: "I intend to run this agency in a way that fosters both responsible protection of the environment and freedom for American businesses.”
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Small Business Administration: Linda McMahon
The former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) spent an estimated $100 million on two unsuccessful Senate campaigns in 2010 and 2012. She has supported reduced financial regulation and a lower corporate tax rate. Trump described her as "one of the country's top female executives advising businesses around the globe."
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Director of the Management and Budget Office: Mick Mulvaney
Mulvaney was voted into the House of Representatives in 2011 as a "Tea Party" Republican. As someone who opposes federal governmental spending, the 49-year old from South Carolina could help Trump defund the Affordable Care Act, but might also be at odds with his trillion dollar infrastructure investment plan.
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Senior White House adviser: Jared Kushner
Donald Trump's son in law, who already served a pivotal role in his campaign, will also serve as an adviser in the Trump administration. The son of real-estate tycoon Charles Kushner is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka. He previously worked in real estate and publishing and had never worked in politics before the start of the Trump campaign.
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US Ambassador to the UN: Nikki Haley
Haley (44) is serving her second term as the Governor for South Carolina. After the mass shooting at an African-American church in Charleston in 2015, Haley, who is the daughter of Indian immigrants, pushed for the confederate flag to be removed from the grounds of the South Carolina state house. She referred to Trump's proposal for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the US as "un-American."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Reynolds
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: David Shulkin
Shulkin already served as Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health under President Barack Obama. The 57-year old medical doctor previously also worked as Chief Medical Officer at a university hospital in Pennsylvania.
