Maariv newspaper has said that David Friedman, Donald Trump’s top adviser on Israeli affairs, is a prime candidate to take over the post of the US ambassador to Israel.

57-year-old Friedman, who works as a real estate and bankruptcy lawyer for Trump for long years, is an American Jew whose late father was the rabbi of Temple Hillel in North Woodmere and the president of the New York Board of Rabbis.

About six months ago, Trump appointed Friedman and Jason Greenblatt, another of his attorneys, as co-chairmen of his Israel advisory committee.

Friedman is positioned on the far right of the Israeli political map and considered more hardline in his views than Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu.

David Friedman with Donald Trump

He has been a columnist for two Israeli right-wing English-language news outlets, Arutz Sheva and The Jerusalem Post. He also serves as president of American Friends of Bet El Institutions, which financially supports the settlement enterprise.

According to his views, the US must not impose any solutions on Israel or oppose its use of violent methods against the Palestinians to protect its citizens.

He considers Israel’s settlement activity illegal and advocates all kinds settlement construction activity in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.