Former secretary of state Colin Powell has given support to President Barack Obama's pick to lead the Defense Department, saying Chuck Hagel is "superbly qualified" for the post despite objection from some fellow Republicans.

Speaking on NBC's Meet the Press, Powell said the former Nebraska senator had a "very, very distinguished public service record he can stand on".

The comments contrast with that of some Republicans who have objected to the proposed nomination due to a perception that Hagel is lukewarm on Israel, the US's traditional Middle East ally.

Such antipathy to Obama's choice was evident in comments Sunday by senator Bob Corker, a ranking member of the foreign relations committee.

Corker said Hagel's "overall temperament" could come up as an issue, and questioned if the former senator was "suited" to run a big government department.

He told ABC's This Week that there were "numbers of staffers who are coming forth now just talking about the way he has dealt with them".

But he added that he would approach the confirmation process with an open mind.

Other Republicans have gone further in their criticism. South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham said it was an "in-your face nomination by the president to all of us who are supportive of Israel".

Their objection stems from comments Hagel has made apparently criticising the influence that pro-Israeli lobbyists in Washington have had on US foreign policy.

Powell hit out at claims of antisemitism levied against Hagel. The former secretary of state and four-star general said Hagel was "very supportive of the state of Israel", adding: "But it doesn't mean you have to agree with every single position that the Israeli government takes."

He also defended Hagel on the issue of gay rights, an area in which he has been attacked by members of Obama's own party.

Powell suggested that the former Nebraska senator's anti-gay rights voting record would not impact on his position at the Defense Department, despite the administration's lifting of the controversial Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy that had previously forced gay members of the armed forces to hide their sexuality.

Despite the endorsement from a key member of the Bush administration – albeit one who has since endorsed Obama as president – Republicans are still likely to give Hagel a rough passage in the Senate

The likely confirmation battle comes just weeks after the Obama administration backed down from a similar fight over Susan Rice, the ambassador to the United Nations who had been Obama's first pick to replace Hillary Clinton as secretary of state.

Rice withdrew under a barrage of criticism from Republicans regarding remarks she made in the aftermath of the assault on the US consulate in Benghazi in September that killed the ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens.

Reflecting on both that battle and the one looming over Hagel, Powell suggested that the White House had not "handled it well", suggesting that both had been "left out there to dangle for weeks" after being tapped for a cabinet position.