President Donald Trump’s pick for ambassador to Israel is likely to gain the support of a Democratic senator on the Foreign Relations Committee, THE WEEKLY STANDARD has confirmed.
“I’m inclined to be supportive,” New Jersey senator Bob Menendez told TWS. “I’m reviewing his answers to questions for the record, and when I finish all of that I will make a final decision.”
Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker told TWS after the February confirmation hearing that ambassador-designate David Friedman would receive bipartisan support from the committee, where Republicans hold a one-seat advantage. A date for the vote has not been announced.
Democratic senators repeatedly pressed Friedman during the hearing on inflammatory remarks he made in the past about left-leaning Jewish groups and political officials. Friedman expressed regret over those comments.
“There is no excuse. If you want me to rationalize it or justify it, I cannot,” he told ranking member Ben Cardin. “These were hurtful words and I deeply regret them. They are not reflective of my nature or my character.”
Friedman also indicated support for the two-state solution at the hearing, rolling back past criticism of it. Trump has said he is open to a range of solutions.
“A two-state solution, if it could be achieved, would bring tremendous benefits to both the Israelis and the Palestinians,” Friedman said. “I have expressed my skepticism about the two-state solution solely on the basis of what I’ve perceived as an unwillingness on the part of the Palestinians to renounce terror and accept Israel as a Jewish state.”
The ambassador-designate later said that expanding the construction of Israeli homes into new areas “may not be helpful.” Trump said the same in early February.
The liberal advocacy group J Street, which has been the target of some of Friedman’s past remarks, has campaigned aggressively against his nomination.
Christians United for Israel and the Republican Jewish Coalition are rallying in support of Friedman. Friedman on Monday earned the endorsement of the Jewish Federations of North America.
