\r\n\tDonald Trump last week chose bankruptcy lawyer David Friedman, a homeowner in the ethnically cleansed Talbiyeh neighborhood of the western part of the occupied al-Quds ('Jerusalem'), to be US ambassador to Israel.
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\r\n\tThe pick has serious implications for US domestic and international politics and the Palestinian liberation movement.
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\r\n\tTrump has consistently named extremists to key administration positions and Friedman is no different.
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\r\n\tHe opposes a two-state solution and supports Israel formally annexing the West Bank, while Gaza would remain a sealed off bantustan.
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\r\n\tFriedman predicted in August that as president Trump would move quickly to recognize the occupied city as Israel’s capital.
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\r\n\tIn its announcement of his nomination, the Trump transition team made clear that Friedman looked forward to working “from the US embassy in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem.”<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\tFriedman himself is president of a US tax-exempt organization that has raised millions of dollars to directly support illegal settlements in the West Bank.
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\r\n\tTrump and the family foundation of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are notable contributors.
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\r\n\tFrom one perspective, Friedman’s appointment – and the shift it presages – amounts to a more accurate labeling of existing US policy.<\/p>","content_source":null,"content_url":null,"content_columns":"0","content_date_start":"2016-12-22 15:09:30","content_date_finish":"2016-12-22 15:09:30","content_date_register":"2016-12-22 15:09:30","content_date_last_edit":"0000-00-00 00:00:00","content_show_img":"1","content_show_details":"1","content_show_related_img":"1","content_show_slider":"1","content_show_title_slider":"1","content_comment":"0","content_score":"0","content_recorded":"0","content_confirmed":"1","content_status":"1","content_kind":"0","old_id":"128482","tag_id":null,"tag_word":null,"tag_service":null,"tag_total":null,"tag_soundex":null,"attach_token":"3150242054","attach_date_register":"2016-12-22 15:09:33","attach_id":"138585","attach_file_ext":"jpg","attach_file_header":"image\/jpeg","attach_img_type":"2","attach_img_width":"720","attach_img_height":"405","attach_file_media":"1","attach_show_watermark":"0","score_average":null,"score_count":null,"score_date_last":null,"visit_count":"831","visit_date_last":"2025-05-09 10:41:49","attach_title":"Trump names hardliner US amb. to Israel","node_title":"Commentaries","ot_node_left_right":"[{\"node_id\":134, \"left\":25, \"right\":26}]"}]]