Today’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing to confirm David Friedman as US ambassador to Israel was interrupted by protesters, who accused him of promoting racism and being in favour of the occupation.

One demonstrator shouted that Mr Friedman was a war criminal before being escorted from the room.

Mr Friedman, a bankruptcy lawyer and a long-time confidant of President Donald Trump, gained notoriety when it emerged he had labelled dovish pro-peace advocacy group “worse than kapos - Jews who turned in their fellow Jews in the Nazi death camps” in an article in an article for Israel National News.

However, in the hearing, Mr Friedman appeared to row back heavily on the remarks. He said: "There is no excuse for my offensive comments. I deeply regret them. They don't reflect my character."

He added: "The inflammatory rhetoric during the presidential campaign is entirely over. If confirmed my language would be measured."

Although he is known to be a staunch supporter of the settlement movement and has rejected the notion of an independent Palestinian state, he told the panel: “If Israelis and Palestinians are able to achieve a two-state solution I would be delighted

"I expressed scepticism about two-state solution due to the Palestinian refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state… If the two-state solution can be achieved it will bring great benefits for Israelis and Palestinians."