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Trump's pick for Israel envoy to undergo unprecedented Senate grilling

Senate Democrats vow tough hearing on David Friedman as advocates of a two-state solution ramp up their lobbying.
Attorney David Friedman (R) walks with U.S. businessman Robert Wood "Woody" Johnson as they arrive at a private fundraiser for then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the Manhattan borough of New York City, June 21, 2016. Friedman is U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's designated Ambassador to Israel. Picture taken June 21, 2016.  REUTERS/Mike Segar - RTX2XAMV

Senate Democrats are vowing to challenge President Donald Trump's choice for envoy to Israel over his hard-line, pro-settlement views. 

The concerns over David Friedman mark a dramatic shift from the near-unanimous support that nominees for the position have enjoyed for decades. They represent the latest example of the fraying bipartisan consensus over Israel policy, as left-leaning supporters of a two-state solution increasingly find themselves at odds with right-leaning pro-Israel advocates such as Friedman, who has compared the former to Nazi collaborators.

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