Who Is David Friedman? Ambassador To Israel Confirmed, Benjamin Netanyahu Calls Him 'Close Friend Of Israel'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed David Friedman as the U.S. ambassador to Israel in a Tweet, Thursday. Senators voted 52-46 and approved the first of President Donald Trump's pick for ambassadors. Netanyahu said that Friedman would be warmly welcomed by Israel.

Israeli envoy to the U.S. Ron Dermer also posted on Twitter congratulating Friedman.

Friedman previously served as Trump's bankruptcy lawyer. He has been criticized for his earlier comments on the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Being an Orthodox Jew, he accused the State Department of anti-Semitism and compared the Left-wing Jewish activists to "Kapos." He had also accused former president Barack Obama of being "anti-Semitic" — a term referred to the Jews, who were appointed by Nazis to keep a check on prisoners at concentration camps. Friedman later apologized for his past comments during his confirmation hearing and also promised to uphold the U.S. policy under the Trump administration, according to NBC News.

Friedman needed a simple majority for the confirmation of his nomination. Although several Democrats opposed it, Republicans showed support. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Bob Melendez (D-N.J.) among the Republicans, voted for Friedman during the senate hearing. They also supported him during a procedural vote that took place earlier Thursday.

Friedman's nomination has been through a lot of controversies. Democrats voiced their concerns about Friedman's comments earlier opposing a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Friedman also advocated for Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Ben Cardin (D-Md.) did not support the nomination.

"Taken together, Mr. Friedman’s statements and affiliations make it clear that he does not believe the two-state solution is necessary for a just and lasting peace," Cardin said.

Cardin added that he believes Friedman's past opinions would affect "his ability to represent the United States as a credible facilitator of the peace process," the Hill reported.

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., also expressed his concern over the nomination and said Friedman's "past conduct demonstrates that he lacks the tools one needs to be a good diplomat," according to NBC News.