Violinist Itzhak Perlman said on Tuesday Donald Trump's mocking of Serge Kovaleski, a reporter with disabilities, was "horrible".

When asked during an interview with The Associated Press to comment on the incident Perlman said it showed the presumptive presidential nominee "has no political savvy".

Perlman who contracted polio in childhood himself uses a wheelchair for mobility.

One of the most acclaimed violinists of modern times, Perlman is in Israel to receive a one million US dollars Genesis Prize, for his accomplishments as a musician, teacher and advocate for the disabled.

Perlman said he hoped presumptive Democratic nominee, Hillary Rodham Clinton would secure the US presidency.

The Genesis Prize was inaugurated in 2014 and is run in a partnership among the Israeli prime minister's office, the private Genesis Prize Foundation and the chairman's office of the Jewish Agency, a nonprofit group with close ties to the Israeli government.

It is funded by a 100 million US dollar endowment established by the foundation.

Perlman is the third recipient of the Genesis Prize, which is to be presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 23.

Perlman intends to use his prize money for projects to assist individuals with disabilities and to develop young musicians of special talent, prize organisers said.

Violinist Itzhak Perlman said on Tuesday Donald Trump's mocking of Serge Kovaleski, a reporter with disabilities, was "horrible".

When asked during an interview with The Associated Press to comment on the incident Perlman said it showed the presumptive presidential nominee "has no political savvy".

Perlman who contracted polio in childhood himself uses a wheelchair for mobility.

One of the most acclaimed violinists of modern times, Perlman is in Israel to receive a one million US dollars Genesis Prize, for his accomplishments as a musician, teacher and advocate for the disabled.

Perlman said he hoped presumptive Democratic nominee, Hillary Rodham Clinton would secure the US presidency.

The Genesis Prize was inaugurated in 2014 and is run in a partnership among the Israeli prime minister's office, the private Genesis Prize Foundation and the chairman's office of the Jewish Agency, a nonprofit group with close ties to the Israeli government.

It is funded by a 100 million US dollar endowment established by the foundation.

Perlman is the third recipient of the Genesis Prize, which is to be presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 23.

Perlman intends to use his prize money for projects to assist individuals with disabilities and to develop young musicians of special talent, prize organisers said.

AP TELEVISION

Jerusalem - 21 June 2016

1. Violinist Itzhak Perlman

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Itzhak Perlman, violinist:

"Horrible, horrible, just horrible. I mean look, I mean it was a mindless kind of decision. It was something that it shows that he (Donald Trump) has no political savvy, you know, what's politically correct. Of course he says, 'I don't care about politically correct', and it was very funny, I don't know if you heard of (comedian) Steven Colbert, he has a show so he said something about how Trump doesn't care about being politically correct and he says, which is number 1 and number 2, he also doesn't care about being correct. So, I thought it is very funny. No it was terrible, it was terrible. You don't do that and what can you do? It is almost not worth commenting on because it is so outrageous."

POOL

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - 24 November 2015

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, Republican presidential hopeful:

"The Washington Post writes an article. And one of the paragraphs, it says, and by the way this was right after September 11th, this was September 18th, and right after, an amazing thing, right after, a couple of good paragraphs, and it's talking about northern New Jersey, draws the prober's eye, written by a nice reporter. Now the poor guy (Serge Kovaleski). You gotta see this guy. 'Ah. I don't know what I said. Ah. I don't remember!' He's going like 'I don't remember! Maybe that's what I said!' This is 14 years ago! They didn't do a retraction!"

AP TELEVISION

Jerusalem - 21 June 2016

4. Cutaway of Perlman in mobility scooter

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Itzhak Perlman, violinist:

"I try to be very, very non-political but of course it is very difficult to do that and in this particular election year in the states (US) it is very difficult, so of course you know I'm just hoping that Hillary (Clinton) will do it and... Because that (a Trump administration) will be impossible, that will be impossible. Everybody is talking about where do we move to if this will happen (laughing)?"

6. Perlman