President-elect Trump on Thursday named David Friedman as his ambassador to Israel.
“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 a statement. “As the United States’ ambassador to Israel, David Friedman will maintain the special relationship between our two countries.”
Friedman comes to Trump as a founding partner of Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP. He has worked on behalf of companies around the world and has served as one of Trump’s principal advisers on U.S.-Israel relations during the campaign.
“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,” Trump added.
Friedman is expected to push for Trump’s promise to relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump and Friedman said they want to work toward an extraordinary strategic, technological, military and intelligence cooperation between both countries.
“I am deeply honored and humbled by the confidence placed in me by President-elect Trump to represent the United States as its Ambassador to Israel,” Friedman said in a statement. “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.”
