Washington (CNN) President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday he will nominate campaign adviser David Friedman, a bankruptcy lawyer with hardline views on Israel, to serve as US ambassador to the country.

In a statement issued by Trump's transition team, Friedman said he looked forward to moving the US embassy to "Israel's eternal capital, Jerusalem."

That would fulfill a promise made by Trump on the campaign trail to relocate the diplomatic mission from Tel Aviv, upending decades of US policy.

Friedman has long held conservative positions on Israel. Earlier this year, called supporters of the progressive Jewish advocacy group J Street "worse than kapos" for supporting a two-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Kapos were Jews in Nazi concentration camps who were put in charge of other inmates.

Friedman has also said in the past that he does not believe Israeli settlement activity is illegal and opposes a ban on construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem -- another stance that turns US policy on its head.

Republicans have long sought to establish a US embassy in Jerusalem and recognize the city as Israel's capital. Past US administrations on both sides have not made that move, as Palestinians also claim Jerusalem as their capital. For 60 years, the US recognized no sovereign claim to Jerusalem. The Supreme Court ruled last year that a man could not have "Israel" on his passport as his place of birth, siding with the Obama administration that it should read "Jerusalem."

The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 requires the US government to move the embassy to Jerusalem, but the move has been waived every six months since the law was passed. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama all declined to relocate the embassy after being elected, citing national security.

Right turn on US-Israel policy

Friedman also advised Trump throughout the campaign and made waves for suggesting in an interview with an Israeli newspaper that a Trump administration could support annexation of parts of the West Bank, also countering current US policy. He told CNN later that he was responding to a hypothetical question and not necessarily advocating for such a policy.

Under his and others' advisement, the GOP platform moved to the right by removing a reference to a two-state solution to the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians , distinguishing itself from the Democratic platform that recognized both states.

The two-state policy has been a pillar of US posture toward Israel throughout past Democratic and Republican administrations. Friedman has written about the need to move away from the two-state solution.

J-Street, the advocacy group, said it "vehemently" opposed Friedman, citing his position on a two-state solution.

"As someone who has been a leading American friend of the settlement movement, who lacks any diplomatic or policy credentials and who has attacked liberal Jews who support two states as 'worse than kapos,' Friedman should be beyond the pale for senators considering who should represent the United States in Israel," the group said. "This nomination is reckless, putting America's reputation in the region and credibility around the world at risk."

In an article published in June on the Arutz Sheva website, Friedman said supporters of J Street were "far worse" than kapos. "They are just smug advocates of Israel's destruction delivered from the comfort of their secure American sofas -- it's hard to imagine anyone worse," he wrote.

The Republican Jewish Coalition welcomed the selection and vowed to work with Friedman to move the US embassy to Jerusalem.

"The selection of Mr. David Friedman to serve as United States Ambassador to Israel sends a powerful signal to the Jewish community and the State of Israel that President-elect Trump's administration will strengthen the bond between our two countries and advance the cause of peace within the region," the organization said in a statement.

Trump's position unclear

Trump's own position on Israel had not been clear throughout the campaign. He has long said negotiating a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians would be the pinnacle of deal-making, in which Trump takes pride.

But a year ago he was booed at the Republican Jewish Coalition when he declined to promise to keep Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel during an onstage Q&A. He also said peace would depend on whether Israel is willing to make sacrifices and said he would remain "neutral" in the negotiations, dodging a question on how he would refer to the West Bank.

Trump shifted gears after criticism for those comments, including from staunchly pro-Israel competitors Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. At a spring appearance at the large pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Trump made one of his first teleprompter-based speeches designed to show himself as a strong supporter of Israel.

Current US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro has urged Trump's administration to stick with current of US policy on the country.

"Every government, every US administration has looked at that question, has determined that the embassy is where it should be," Shapiro said. "And I can't speculate beyond that."

Friedman served as counsel for Trump in connection with his investment in Atlantic City casinos. Trump filed for business bankruptcy related to the casinos four times between 1991 and 2009.</s>WASHINGTON (JTA) — President-elect Donald Trump is nominating a top Jewish surrogate, David Friedman, to be ambassador to Israel, with a statement saying Friedman will serve from Jerusalem and describing the city as “Israel’s eternal capital.”

Friedman, a bankruptcy lawyer who has for years worked for Trump and his real estate development business, was with Jason Greenblatt, another Trump lawyer, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, one of his main emissaries to the Jewish community. Friedman this week briefed the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations on what to expect from a Trump presidency.

The Trump transition team’s statement said Friedman – who like the incumbent ambassador, Dan Shapiro, speaks Hebrew – intends “to work tirelessly to strengthen the unbreakable bond between our two countries and advance the cause of peace within the region, and look forward to doing this from the U.S. embassy in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem.”

Congress recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 1995 and mandated the move of the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but successive presidents have exercised a waiver in the law, citing national security interests. U.S. security officials believe that moving the embassy to Jerusalem, a city holy to Christians and Muslims as well as Jews and claimed by the Palestinians as their capital, would precipitate anti-American violence in the region and beyond.

In what has become a feature of transition statements, the release included a dig at the outgoing Obama administration.

“The bond between Israel and the United States runs deep, and I will ensure there is no daylight between us when I’m President,” Trump said in the statement. “As the United States’ Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman will maintain the special relationship between our two countries.”

President Barack Obama increased U.S.-Israel defense and intelligence sharing, but challenged the practice of his two immediate predecessors – Bill Clinton and George W. Bush – of keeping diplomatic agreements behind closed doors. Early in his administration, Obama told Jewish leaders the policy of “no daylight” had not advanced peace in the region.</s>Washington (CNN) Donald Trump's designated ambassador to Israel signals a potential shift in long-standing US policy that has implications for Washington's relationships in the region, with Europe and even the American Jewish community.

The President-elect tapped New York-based attorney David Friedman Thursday to represent the United States. Friedman, who maintains a residence in Jerusalem, is known for hardline views that depart from decades of established American policy and in some cases are to the right of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Friedman argues that Israeli settlement construction in Palestinian areas shouldn't be illegal and has called the effort to find a two-state solution an "illusion." In Trump's announcement, the bankruptcy lawyer and Orthodox Jew welcomed moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to "Israel's eternal capital, Jerusalem" -- settling in one phrase a fraught issue that has been designated for final peace talks, as Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital as well.

The upshot, analysts and experts say, is that there's likely turbulence ahead. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has ebbed as an issue of concern for the Middle East, roiled by five years of war that have changed regional dynamics. But a US shift in the status quo of Jerusalem -- home to the third-holiest site in Islam as well as the holiest in Judaism -- and away from forging a state for the Palestinians, long seen as an important cause by other Arabs, could revive regional tensions.

"Immediate reaction will be muted, but over time, if the US does support a dramatic change in the status quo that undermines Palestinians or undermines chances for some sort of independent Palestinian state in the future, it's going to cause a problem for Arab governments," said Haim Malka, deputy director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "And then it could become a point of contention between those Arab governments and the US government."

The Israeli Embassy in Washington declined to comment, saying it expected Netanyahu to address Friedman's nomination at a Sunday Cabinet meeting. But Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely welcomed the nomination and said Friedman's views reflected a "desire to strengthen the standing of Israel's capital Jerusalem at this time and to underscore that the settlements have never been the true problem in the area."

Mustafa Barghouti, a member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, said it was "not encouraging" to have Friedman be nominated, adding that, "People who say there is no place for a Palestinian state in the new American administration are changing all of the promises that were made by all previous administrations."

Talk about transferring the US Embassy to Jerusalem "would be, in our opinion, a violation of international law," he said, describing the climate of this appointment as "very dangerous, because if the hope for a two-state solution is killed, then what's the alternative for Palestinians?"

There are also US relationships with other countries in the region to consider. While the US is less dependent on Middle Eastern oil, Washington still works closely with Arab partners on counterterrorism efforts, intelligence-sharing and the war in Syria. Egypt offers the US military priority passage through the Suez Canal and overflight rights, while Saudi Arabia reportedly provides bases for US drone flights.

But the Trump team is arguing that this choice will help shore up the US-Israel relationship, which has been strained by differences between Netanyahu and President Barack Obama. Israel has sought international recognition of Jerusalem as its capital for decades, and the issue is one of the most emotionally resonant with Israeli citizens and many Jews worldwide.

Jason Greenblatt, who, with Friedman, was a co-chair of Trump's Israel Advisory Committee, said Friedman "is a wonderful choice to serve as the United States ambassador to Israel." He added that Friedman "has tremendous passion for and devotion to Israel. David's appointment is proof positive that President-elect Trump will be a true friend to Israel."

It's unknown what a Trump administration will actually do once it's in office. There's also the question of how prominent figures within the administration will influence policy.

Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon, retired Gen. James Mattis, has broader experience and relationships in the Arab world than Friedman, Malka noted, "and they may take those relationships into consideration when they're making decisions about Israel and the Palestinians."

And in the wake of the Arab Spring, which has seen governments change and violence sweep the Arab world, the cause of the Palestinians has decreased in primacy.

Right now, "Palestinians are a pretty low priority for the Arabs," said one Middle East expert who asked to speak anonymously because of ties to the incoming administration. "But if you change the status quo, that could change the calculations of the leadership of these countries and set back some of the progress" that Israel has made in developing better ties to the region.

Eric Trager, an Egypt expert with the Washington Institute on Near East Policy, said repression under the country's current leader could mean people are more afraid to publicly protest the US and Israel than they have been in the past.

But he notes that an embassy move would "likely create complications for Jordan," whose King is the official custodian of the Muslim holy site in Jerusalem and whose population is 60% Palestinian.

Official US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would also cause trouble for Saudi Arabia, said Bruce Riedel, director of the Intelligence Project at the Brookings Institution and a former CIA analyst.

"If the US does move the embassy to Jerusalem and does it in a way that the ambassador-designate says -- which is a recognition that it is the eternal, undivided capital of Israel -- I think the Saudis will find that very, very hard to ignore and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will come back onto the agenda," Riedel said.

The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 requires the US government to move the embassy to Jerusalem, but the law includes a waiver if presidents deem there's a threat to national security. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama all used the waiver to decline to relocate the embassy after being elected.

Shiite Iran, the Saudi's great religious and geopolitical rival, has publicly heaped scorn on Sunni Saudi Arabia for its closer ties to Israel, using it as a propaganda tool in an attempt to turn other Arabs against the region's wealthiest country.

Riedel called moving the embassy to Jerusalem a "self-inflicted wound" for Washington: "This would undermine whatever small degree to which the United States has been seen as an honest broker" Riedel said. The suggestion "really undermines and signals that the two-state solution, if not dead, is comatose and would require extraordinary action to revive."

Arab reaction has been muted, but privately diplomats expressed confusion and concern about the pick, which one diplomat said flies in the face of Trump's stated goal of being "neutral" when it came to Middle East peace.

Just this week, Walid Phares, a foreign policy adviser to Trump during the campaign, told Arab diplomats the President-elect hoped to negotiate what he has called the "ultimate deal" between Israelis and Palestinians.

"And then he goes and appoints someone like David Friedman who holds these views," one diplomat said. "It's insulting."

That may also complicate US relationships with European allies who have been strongly supportive of the search for a two-state solution.

In reaction, a burgeoning movement to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel could grow stronger, and "you could see stronger European moves in international organizations and more European Parliaments recognizing a Palestinian state," Malka said.

At the same time, some supporters of Israel think that having the strong backing of the United States could help neutralize the issue on the international agenda, with Washington's veto power at the UN Security Council tacitly keeping European and other countries less inclined to act against Israel.

Friedman's appointment and a rightward shift in policy could also deepen rifts within the American Jewish community, Malka said, because he "is associated so closely with pro-settlement and rightwing causes in Israel, which is are ideals which are at odds with the majority of the American Jewish community."

Friedman has been openly contemptuous of the liberal Jewish organization J Street, which openly favors a two-state solution, calling them "worse than kapos," a reference to Jews who worked with the Nazis during World War II to guard prison camps.

J Street said it "vehemently" opposed Friedman and said he "should be beyond the pale for senators considering who should represent the United States in Israel" when they consider whether to confirm him.

But there are also many American Jews -- increasing Orthodox and right-leaning politically even as the vast majority remain Democrats -- who welcome the appointment of someone they see as an unabashed supporter of the Jewish state.

"The selection of Mr. David Friedman to serve as United States Ambassador to Israel sends a powerful signal to the Jewish community and the State of Israel that President-elect Trump's administration will strengthen the bond between our two countries and advance the cause of peace within the region," the Republican Jewish Coalition said in a statement.</s>Washington (CNN) President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday he will nominate campaign adviser David Friedman to serve as the US ambassador to Israel.

Trump said in a statement that Friedman "has been a longtime friend and trusted adviser to me. 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. Nothing is more critical than protecting the security of our citizens at home and abroad."

He continued, "The bond between Israel and the United States runs deep, and I will ensure there is no daylight between us when I'm President."

In the statement, Friedman made a reference to moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv, Israel's business capital, to "Israel's eternal capital, Jerusalem."

His remarks align with Trump on the campaign trail, who promised to recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel, a move that would upend decades of US policy.

Republicans have long sought to establish a US embassy in Jerusalem and recognize the city as Israel's capital. Past US administrations on both sides have not made that move, as Palestinians also claim Jerusalem as their capital. For 60 years, the US recognized no sovereign claim to Jerusalem. The Supreme Court ruled last year that a man could not have "Israel" on his passport as his place of birth, siding with the Obama administration that it should read "Jerusalem."

Friedman also advised Trump throughout the campaign and made waves for suggesting in an interview with an Israeli newspaper that a Trump administration could support annexation of parts of the West Bank, also countering current US policy. He told CNN later that he was responding to a hypothetical question and not necessarily advocating for such a policy.

J-Street, a progressive Israel group, said it "vehemently" opposed Friedman, citing his position on a two-state solution.

"As someone who has been a leading American friend of the settlement movement, who lacks any diplomatic or policy credentials and who has attacked liberal Jews who support two states as 'worse than kapos,' Friedman should be beyond the pale for senators considering who should represent the United States in Israel," the group said. "This nomination is reckless, putting America's reputation in the region and credibility around the world at risk."

The Republican Jewish Coalition, however, welcomed the selection and vowed to work with Friedman to move the US embassy to Jerusalem.

"The selection of Mr. David Friedman to serve as United States Ambassador to Israel sends a powerful signal to the Jewish community and the State of Israel that President-elect Trump's administration will strengthen the bond between our two countries and advance the cause of peace within the region," the organization said in a statement.

Trump's own position on Israel had not been clear throughout the campaign. He has long said negotiating a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians would be the pinnacle of deal-making, in which Trump takes pride.

But a year ago he was booed at the Republican Jewish Coalition when he declined to promise to keep Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel during an onstage Q&A. He also said peace would depend on whether Israel is willing to make sacrifices and said he would remain "neutral" in the negotiations, dodging a question on how he would refer to the West Bank.

Trump shifted gears after criticism for those comments, including from staunchly pro-Israel competitors Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. At a spring appearance at the large pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Trump made one of his first teleprompter-based speeches designed to show himself as a strong supporter of Israel.

Current US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro has urged Trump's administration to stick with current of US policy on the country.

"Every government, every US administration has looked at that question, has determined that the embassy is where it should be," Shapiro said. "And I can't speculate beyond that."

Friedman served as counsel for Trump in connection with his investment in Atlantic City casinos. Trump filed for business bankruptcy related to the casinos four times between 1991 and 2009.</s>WASHINGTON - President-elect Donald Trump will nominate bankruptcy attorney David Friedman as U.S. ambassador to Israel and Friedman said he looked forward to taking up his post in Jerusalem, a step that would reverse decades of U.S. foreign policy and spark rancor in the Muslim world.

The U.S. embassy has been located in Tel Aviv for more than 68 years. Trump had pledged during the presidential campaign to move it to Jerusalem, a move almost certain to provoke objections from Muslims around the world.

"(Friedman) has been a long-time friend and trusted advisor to me. 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," Trump said in a statement issued by his team.

The Republican made clear during his campaign that he would support Israel in a number of critical areas, including moving the American embassy to Jerusalem, all but enshrining the city as Israel's capital over international objections. He also pledged to not put pressure on Israel to engage in talks with the Palestinians.

The United States and other powers do not regard Jerusalem as Israel's capital - in addition to the U.S. embassy, other nations' embassies are in Tel Aviv - and do not recognize Israel's annexation of Arab East Jerusalem following its capture in the 1967 Middle East war.

One of the thorniest issues is resolving the rival Israeli and Palestinian demands for Jerusalem's future. Palestinians regard the ancient city - which contains sites sacred to the Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths - as the future capital of a separate state.

Friedman, who specializes in litigation and bankruptcy law, said in the statement that he would work tirelessly to "strengthen the unbreakable bond between our two countries and advance the cause of peace within the region, and look forward to doing this from the U.S. embassy in Israel's eternal capital, Jerusalem."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has had a fractious relationship with Democratic President Barack Obama, has welcomed Trump's election, chatting with him by phone and posting a video on Facebook promoting the ties between the two countries.

In an interview with Israeli left-leaning newspaper Haaretz, in June, Friedman was asked whether Trump would support the creation of an independent Palestinian state - a bedrock of U.S. foreign policy which supports a two-state solution.

"The answer is - not without the approval of the Israelis," said Friedman. "If the Israelis don't want to do it, so he doesn't think they should do it. ... He does not think it is an American imperative for it to be an independent Palestinian state."

There was no immediate comment from the Israel embassy in Washington on the news.

Friedman is also considered far-right on issues, including settlement building and has advocated for the annexation of the West Bank, which Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war.

The Obama administration has been highly critical of Israeli settlement construction in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Most countries view all Israeli settlements on occupied land that the Palestinians seek for their own state as illegal.

The Palestinians, who want to establish a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital, say settlements are a fundamental obstacle to peace. The last U.S.-backed talks on statehood collapsed in 2014.

J Street, a small, liberal pro-Israel group based in Washington, said it was "vehemently opposed" to Friedman's nomination.

"As someone who has been a leading American friend of the settlement movement, who lacks any diplomatic or policy credentials ... Friedman should be beyond the pale for Senators considering who should represent the United States in Israel," it said in a statement.

"This nomination is reckless, putting America's reputation in the region and credibility around the world at risk," the statement said.

Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East adviser to Republican and Democratic administrations, said Friedman's nomination "was designed to send a signal that there will be significant break in tone, style and perhaps substance from the Obama administration" in its handling of the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

"The peace process is just dead right now," Miller said, alluding to the Obama administration's failed efforts. But he said it was too early to see Friedman's nomination as Trump's disavowal of a two-state solution.

Miller noted that Trump's aides have sent conflicting signals on whether they are serious about acting quickly on his promise to move the embassy, and that it was not clear whether that would happen.

Presidential candidates have in the past promised to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and then reneged, deciding ultimately that the city's status should first be resolved by the parties to the conflict.

In early December, Obama renewed the presidential waiver, signed by every U.S. president for the past two decades, against moving America's embassy to Jerusalem for another six months. It effectively means any action by Trump would be delayed until at least June. (Additional reporting by Eric Beech and Matt Spetalnick; Writing by Yara Bayoumy; Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Jonathan Oatis)</s>A vocal opponent of a two-state solution and a supporter of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, David Friedman, has been named the U.S. ambassador to Israel by President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday.

Echoing a campaign promise that Mr. Trump has repeated many times, Mr. Friedman vowed to work towards shifting the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which could be seen as an endorsement of Israel’s claim over the entire city, overlooking the Palestinian desire to have part of the city as the capital of a future state that they strive for. Considering the complexities, most countries including the U.S. and India have their embassies in Tel Aviv, 67 km northwest of Jerusalem.

“I intend to work tirelessly to strengthen the unbreakable bond between our two countries and advance the cause of peace within the region, and look forward to doing this from the U.S. embassy in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem,” Mr. Friedman said.

In March, at the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Mr. Trump had promised to shift the embassy to “the eternal capital of the Jewish state.”

The Jerusalem Embassy Act passed by the U.S Congress in 1995 required the country’s embassy to be shifted by 1999 but Presidents since then have used executive authority to avoid it. The existing waiver signed by Barack Obama on December 1 will end on May 31, 2017. Bill Clinton and George W Bush had promised during campaigns to move the embassy but developed cold feet once in office. But Mr. Trump will live up to his words, his advisers have reiterated since his election. "He made it very clear during the campaign, Hugh, and as president-elect I've heard him repeat it several times privately, if not publicly,” Kellyanne Conway, an adviser, said on Monday.

Mr. Friedman’s selection has upset some Jewish groups in the U.S. "As someone who has been a leading American friend of the settlement movement, who lacks any diplomatic or policy credentials and who has attacked liberal Jews who support two states….Friedman should be beyond the pale for senators considering who should represent the United States in Israel," Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of the Left-leaning Jewish group J Street said in a statement.

Mr. Friedman, an attorney who worked on Mr. Trump’s bankruptcy cases, has been adviser to his presidential campaign on the U.S.-Israel relationship. “The bond between Israel and the United States runs deep, and I will ensure there is no daylight between us when I’m President. As the ambassador …(Mr) Friedman will maintain the special relationship between our two countries. He has been a long-time friend and trusted advisor to me. 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. Nothing is more critical than protecting the security of our citizens at home and abroad,” Mr. Trump said the statement announcing the new ambassador.</s>WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he will nominate attorney David Friedman as U.S. ambassador to Israel, selecting an envoy who supports Israeli settlements and other changes to U.S. policies in the region. Friedman said he looked forward to carrying out his duties from “the U.S. embassy in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem,” even though the embassy is in Tel Aviv.

Like some of his predecessors, Trump has vowed to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, a politically charged act that would anger Palestinians who want east Jerusalem as part of their sovereign territory. The move would also distance the U.S. from most of the international community, including its closest allies in Western Europe and the Arab world.

The president-elect said Friedman would “maintain the special relationship” between the U.S. and Israel.

But the announcement sparked anger from liberal Jewish groups. Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of J Street, called nominating Friedman “reckless,” citing his support for settlements and his questioning of a two-state solution with the Palestinians.

The statement doesn’t detail how Friedman could work in Jerusalem. However, Trump advisers have insisted in recent days that the president-elect will follow through on his call for moving the embassy.

“He has made that promise,” Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway told reporters Thursday. “I can guarantee you, just generally, he’s a man who is going to accomplish many things very quickly.”

One option Trump allies have discussed would involve Friedman, if confirmed by the Senate, working out of an existing U.S. consulate in Jerusalem. According to a person who has discussed the plan with Trump advisers, the administration would essentially deem the facility the American embassy by virtue of the ambassador working there.

It’s unclear how far those discussions have gotten or whether Trump himself has been briefed on the proposal. Trump’s transition team did not respond to questions about the matter.

Both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush promised to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, but backed away from the idea once in office.

Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move that is not internationally recognized. It claims the entire city as its capital. The Palestinians seek east Jerusalem, home to key Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, as the capital of their future state.

Virtually all embassies to Israel are located in or around Tel Aviv.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat told The Associated Press this week that he has been in touch with Trump’s staff about the embassy issue. Barkat said his conversations have led him to believe that Trump is serious about making the move.</s>WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he will nominate attorney David Friedman as U.S. ambassador to Israel, selecting an envoy who supports Israeli settlements and other changes to U.S. policies in the region. Friedman said he looked forward to carrying out his duties from "the U.S. embassy in Israel's eternal capital, Jerusalem," even though the embassy is in Tel Aviv.

Like some of his predecessors, Trump has vowed to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, an act that would anger Palestinians who want east Jerusalem as part of their sovereign territory. The move would also distance the U.S. from most of the international community, including its closest allies in Western Europe and the Arab world.

The president-elect said Friedman would "maintain the special relationship" between the U.S. and Israel.

But the announcement sparked anger from liberal Jewish groups. Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of J Street, called nominating Friedman "reckless," citing his support for settlements and his questioning of a two-state solution with the Palestinians.

The statement doesn't detail how Friedman could work in Jerusalem. However, Trump advisers have insisted in recent days that the president-elect will follow through on his call for moving the embassy.

"He has made that promise," Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway told reporters Thursday. "I can guarantee you, just generally, he's a man who is going to accomplish many things very quickly."</s>JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s West Bank settlers have lauded U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s selection for ambassador to Israel.

Oded Revivi, chief foreign envoy of the Yesha Council, says Friday that David Friedman has a “deep love for all of the land and people of Israel, including those in Judea and Samaria” — using the West Bank’s biblical names. Friedman, an Orthodox Jew from Long Island, has long ties to Israel’s settler movement and has supported positions on the far-fight of Israel’s political spectrum.

Trump has vowed to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, a charged act that would anger Palestinians who want east Jerusalem as part of their future country.

In accepting the post, Friedman said he looked forward to carrying out his duties from “the U.S. embassy in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem.”</s>This is not a city overflowing with the holiday spirit. As the U.S. Congress heads home for the holidays, there’s a sense that something ominous lies over the horizon. People might try to avoid discussing the pending inauguration, on Jan. 20, of President-elect Donald Trump, but the topic rarely stays out of conversations for long.

At last week’s White House Christmas party for the press, reporters speculated about whether this might be the last such party for years to come. It’s difficult to imagine that Trump, no fan of the press, would host such an event, much less stand stoically with his wife Melania greeting each individual guest, as Barack and Michelle Obama did for eight years. One reporter joked that the next press Christmas party would be held at the recently opened Trump International Hotel down the street from the White House, and there would be a cash bar.

Of course, if the press Christmas party was the only precedent Trump and his team broke, no one would be too distraught. But Trump has so far shown such indifference to rules and norms, such a disregard for limits, and such unpredictability, that the prevailing mood among Democrats and Republicans alike is one of uncertainty and unease. But the concern goes beyond Washington: Many ordinary citizens in the United States and elsewhere genuinely fear the consequences of a Trump administration.

Given Trump’s capriciousness, many are looking to his Cabinet for clues about the country’s direction over the next four years. The results thus far aren’t comforting, not least because he’s shown a predilection for choosing generals to run civilian agencies — three thus far — and even more so because several of Trump’s nominees will, if the Senate confirms them, be heading agencies whose missions they have opposed.

Trump’s choice for secretary of education, Betsy DeVos, is an ultra-wealthy heiress whose resume includes a disastrous effort to privatize Michigan’s schools. Trump’s pick for labor secretary, Andy Puzder, is a fast-food chain owner who opposes raising the minimum wage to livable levels or expanding overtime pay; indeed, his company has run afoul of overtime laws. Trump’s pick for attorney general, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, cares little for civil-rights laws or immigration.

Then there is Trump’s choice to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ben Carson — the retired neurosurgeon who endorsed Trump after bowing out of the Republican primary — is no fan of social programs or fair-housing initiatives. Perhaps Trump thought that naming a black man to lead the dismantling of public housing, which largely supports African-Americans, would be good cover.

To lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Trump has nominated Scott Pruitt — the attorney general of Oklahoma, an oil- and gas-producing state, and an avid climate-change denier, who has brought several suits against the EPA. Pruitt’s selection was announced soon after Trump’s transition team delivered a questionnaire to employees of the Department of Energy, asking whether they had attended meetings where climate change was discussed.

More recently came the stunning news that, after a protracted search, Trump has settled on Rex Tillerson, CEO of Exxon Mobil, to serve as secretary of state. In his extensive international deal-making — which isn’t the same as diplomacy — Tillerson has developed a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, toward whom Trump has been notably soft. More worrying, the news of Trump’s intention to nominate Tillerson emerged on the same day that The Washington Post reported the CIA’s disturbing conclusion that Russia had interfered in the presidential election to help Trump win. Trump also looks likely to name John Bolton — a bombastic neoconservative who still defends the Iraq War and thinks the U.S. should bomb Iran — to be Tillerson’s deputy.

Trump’s highly conservative Cabinet choices — who include an uncommon number of billionaires — are not at all consonant with his campaign, during which he presented himself as the champion of blue-collar workers, the nonideological businessman who would make the government work. But his choices place him firmly in the camp of plutocrats with little concern for workers and the middle class.

Trump seems to think that if he offers enough bread and circuses, he can distract his supporters from the real direction his administration is taking. He’s taken time off from managing his transition to hold a few rallies — which he apparently enjoys more than the chores of governing — and to pull off stunts, such as lauding his deal with Carrier, which manufactures furnaces and air conditioners, to keep jobs in the U.S.

But it took only a couple of days for the public to learn that Trump had saved far fewer jobs than he had claimed. When the local United Steelworkers union president complained publicly, the famously thin-skinned Trump responded by getting into a Twitter spat, blaming the union president for the lost jobs. That sort of thing won’t go over well with many of the white blue-collar workers Trump so assiduously courted during his campaign. And his uncontrolled use of Twitter as his literal bully pulpit may wear thin.

Trump may also run up against more opposition than he expects in other areas. As his administration proceeds to dismantle environmental rules, he’s likely to find that there’s a much stronger constituency for clean air and clean water than he apparently thinks.

The Democrats, in the minority in the Senate, will give Trump’s Cabinet nominees a tough grilling, potentially defeating one or two. But the Republicans are the ones to watch. Leading Republicans have already dissented from Trump’s threats to start trade wars. If he pushes them too far, Trump may be a general with few troops.

Republicans’ disaffection could be enhanced if — as now appears likely — Trump’s private interests are not sufficiently disentangled from his public responsibilities, making him something of an embarrassment. There’s nothing like a good scandal or two to discourage already unenthusiastic followers. Trump’s campaign against Hillary Clinton should have taught him that.

Elizabeth Drew is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books and the author of “Washington Journal: Reporting Watergate and Richard Nixon’s Downfall.” © Project Syndicate, 2016
President-elect Donald Trump nominates his middle-eastern affairs advisor and former bankruptcy lawyer David Friedman as the next United States Ambassador to Israel.