The horrifying normalcy of Donald Trump's proposed ambassador to Israel

David Friedman has said some terrible things — but he couldn't really make America's treatment of Palestinians much worse than it already is

David Friedman is not shy about his opinions of Israel.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Baz Ratner)

President-elect Donald Trump appears to be going out of his way to make political appointments that will actively horrify any but his most ardent supporters. "Who," one imagines Trump asking himself, "do I want to be my national security advisor? Oh, I know! Crazy Michael Flynn! What about the Energy Department? How about the guy who wanted to abolish the Energy Department?" Like that. Over and over.

What with all the white supremacists, Goldman Sachs executives, and demonstrably inept-but-sycophantic hangers-on, it may be impossible to zero-in on a single appointment as the most egregious example — but surely one of the most egregious choices Trump has made since Nov. 9 is his proposed ambassador to Israel, David Friedman.

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Emily L. Hauser

Emily L. Hauser is a long-time commentary writer. Her work has appeared in a variety of outlets, including The Daily Beast, Haaretz, The Forward, Chicago Tribune, and The Dallas Morning News, where she has looked at a wide range of topics, from helmet laws to forgetfulness to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.