David Friedman, nominated to be U.S. Ambassador to Israel, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington on Thursday. | AP Photo Trump's pick for Israel ambassador expresses regret for attacks on Obama and Schumer

David Friedman, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be ambassador to Israel, expressed regret on Thursday for his rhetoric during the campaign, pledging to members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that, if confirmed, his remarks will “be respectful and measured.”

“The inflammatory rhetoric that accompanied the presidential campaign is entirely over, and if I am confirmed, you should expect my comments to be respectful and measured,” Friedman said in his opening statement, which was interrupted six times by protesters.


In his opening remarks, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the panel’s ranking member, challenged Friedman to address controversial verbal and written comments he has made, including toward former President Barack Obama and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

In addition to calling Obama an anti-Semite, Friedman once referred to the Anti-Defamation League as “a bunch of morons” and said liberal Jews were “worse than Kapos” — Jews who were assigned by Nazi guards to oversee other prisoners at concentration camps.

“Some of the language that I used during the highly charged presidential campaign that ended last November has come in for criticism and rightfully so,” Friedman acknowledged. “While I maintain profound differences of opinion with some of my critics, I regret the use of such language. I want to assure you that I understand the critical difference between the partisan rhetoric of a political contest and a diplomatic mission. Partisan rhetoric is not appropriate in achieving diplomatic progress, especially in a sensitive and strife-torn region like the Middle East.”