The Palestinian president has called the US ambassador to Israel a "son of a dog" in an attack on Donald Trump's policies.

Mahmoud Abbas made the comment against David Friedman as Mr Trump was expected to launch a plan for peace between Israel and Palestine, despite the Palestinian president boycotting his administration over his controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Since the move by Mr Trump in December, relations between the Abbas government and the White House have broken down.

The Palestinians also see the disputed city as the capital of their future state and have refused to meet Mr Trump's envoys.

Speaking to Palestinian leaders in Ramallah, Mr Abbas said: "The US ambassador in Tel Aviv is a settler and a son of a dog."


Image: David Friedman worked as Donald Trump's laywer

A White House official said President Abbas' remarks were "highly inappropriate".

"The time has come for President Abbas to choose between hateful rhetoric and concrete and practical efforts to improve the quality of life of his people and lead them to peace and prosperity," one of Mr Trump's top aides, Jason Greenblatt, said in a statement.

"Notwithstanding his highly inappropriate insults against members of the Trump administration, the latest iteration being his insult of my good friend and colleague ambassador Friedman, we are committed to the Palestinian people and to the changes that must be implemented for peaceful coexistence.

"We are finalising our plan for peace and we will advance it when circumstances are right."

Mr Friedman, who worked as Trump's personal lawyer until he was appointed in 2017, is a vehement supporter of settlement building in the occupied West Bank which is considered illegal under international law.

Image: Mr Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital sparked violence

Responding to Mr Abbas, Mr Friedman, who is Jewish, told a conference that his comments could have anti-Semitic connotations.

Mr Friedman said: "His response was to refer to me as son of a dog. Is that anti-Semitism or political discourse? I leave that up to you."

The remark appeared to be in response to a tweet by Mr Friedman earlier on Monday in which he referred to an attack in the West Bank as "in the north" - raising questions over whether he views it as part of Israeli territory.

Referring to a car ramming on Friday that killed two soldiers and a stabbing on Sunday in Jerusalem that left an Israeli dead, both carried out by Palestinians, he tweeted: "Such brutality and no condemnation from the PA!"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted: "For the first time in decades, the US administration has stopped pampering Palestinian leaders and tells them 'that's enough'. Apparently the shock of the truth has caused them to lose their mind."

Israel has occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem since 1967 and Mr Abbas's government has limited autonomy in parts of the West Bank, while the Jewish state annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community.

All countries base their embassies in Tel Aviv and see the future status of Jerusalem as a matter to be negotiated between the parties.