US President-elect Donald Trump has sparked Israeli concerns following his announcement that he intends to nominate General James Mattis to serve as Secretary of Defense.

The retired US Marine Corps General nicknamed “Mad Dog” served in both Iraq and Afghanistan and has been an outspoken critic of the Obama administration, especially in regards to the policy in the Middle Eastern and North African.

The General, who is known for his hawkish policies is also a heavy critic of the Iran nuclear deal and is vehemently against the closure of Guantanamo Bay. He has previously claimed that Iran “remains the single most belligerent actor in the Middle East.”

Republican Jews Embrace James Mattis as Defense Chief — Despite Israel 'Apartheid' Remarks https://t.co/GsgcU8LOnm via @jdforward — Nathan Guttman (@nathanguttman) December 2, 2016

He has also been condemned by pro-Israel groups for his comments that settlements in the occupied West Bank are leading Israel becoming an “apartheid” state.

“If I’m in Jerusalem and I put 500 Jewish settlers out here to the east and there’s 10,000 Arab settlers in here, if we draw the border to include them, either it ceases to be a Jewish state or you say the Arabs don’t get to vote — apartheid.”

Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz reported three years ago:

Mattis: I paid a military-security price every day as CentCom cmdr because Americans were seen as biased for Israel https://t.co/vCtCxLEKK7 — Kevin MacDonald (@TOOEdit) December 2, 2016

“A former U.S. general said last week that the United States is paying a military and security price “every day” because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that the continued construction of settlements is liable to turn Israel into an apartheid state. “Gen. (ret.) James Mattis, who until two months ago headed the Central Command of the U.S. Army (CENTCOM) and commanded U.S. forces in the Middle East, made the comments at an Aspen Institute conference last Saturday… “Gen. (ret.) Mattis then sounded a prophecy of doom regarding what is liable to happen if a Palestinian state is not established. “I would tell you that the current situation is unsustainable,” he said, adding, “It’s got to be directly addressed. We have got to find a way to make the two-state solution that Democrat and Republican administrations have supported. We’ve got to get there, and the chances for it are starting to ebb because of the settlements, and where they’re at. [They] are going to make it impossible to maintain the two-state option.””

(MEMO, PC, Social Media)