David M. Friedman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Friedman
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|---|---|
 |
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| United States Ambassador to Israel | |
| In office May 15, 2017 – January 20, 2021 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Dan Shapiro |
| Succeeded by | Thomas R. Nides |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Melech Friedman
August 8, 1958 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Tammy Sand
(m. 1981) |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | |
David Melech Friedman, born on August 8, 1958, is an American lawyer. He used to be the United States Ambassador to Israel. An ambassador is a country's main representative in another country.
Friedman joined a law firm called Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman in 1994. There, he met and worked for Donald Trump, who later became the President of the United States.
He helped Trump during his successful campaign to become president in 2016. In December 2016, Trump chose Friedman to be the ambassador to Israel. The United States Senate approved his nomination. He officially started his role on May 15, 2017.
Contents
Early Life and Education
David Friedman grew up in North Woodmere, New York. His father, Morris S. Friedman, was a rabbi, which is a Jewish religious leader. His mother, Addi Friedman, was a high school English teacher.
He went to the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County high school. After that, he studied anthropology at Columbia University, graduating in 1978. He then earned his law degree from New York University School of Law in 1981. He has been a lawyer in New York since 1982.
Legal and Community Work
In 1994, David Friedman helped start the bankruptcy law section at a firm that later became Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman. He became a main partner in 1995. He advised Donald Trump and his company, The Trump Organization, on legal matters related to their businesses.
Friedman also volunteered for American Friends of Bet El Institutions. This group supports Israeli settlements and gives money to the Israeli settlement of Bet El. Settlements are communities built by Israelis in areas that Israel took control of in 1967. This organization also received donations from the family of Jared Kushner, who is Donald Trump's son-in-law.
Friedman wrote articles for an Israeli news website called Arutz Sheva. In his writings, he often supported Israeli settlements, saying they were legal. He also helped other Israeli organizations, like United Hatzalah, which provides emergency medical services, and Aleh Negev, a village for people with disabilities.
Role in Trump's 2016 Campaign
Friedman advised Donald Trump on issues related to Israel and Jewish communities during the 2016 presidential campaign. He was a co-chair of Trump's Israel Advisory Committee.
During the election, he donated money to Trump's campaign. Four days before the election, Friedman and another advisor said that Trump would move the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Moving the embassy was a promise Trump made during his campaign.
For many years, the U.S. had kept its embassy in Tel Aviv. This was because the final status of Jerusalem was meant to be decided through talks between Israelis and Palestinians. However, on December 6, 2017, President Trump announced that the U.S. recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He also said the U.S. embassy would move there.
Becoming U.S. Ambassador to Israel
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On December 15, 2016, Donald Trump announced that David Friedman was his choice for the U.S. Ambassador to Israel.
Public Reactions
Friedman's nomination caused some debate. Some American Jewish, Israeli, and Palestinian groups did not support him. For example, a Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said that moving the embassy to Jerusalem would harm the peace process.
A group called J Street strongly opposed Friedman's nomination. Friedman had made strong comments about J Street in the past. When asked about these comments, he stood by them. However, during his confirmation hearing, he apologized for his past language.
Other groups and individuals supported Friedman. The Orthodox Union and the Zionist Organization of America praised his nomination. Many Israeli politicians also welcomed him.
Senate Approval
Friedman's hearing to become ambassador was held on February 16, 2017. It was a lively hearing, with some protesters interrupting. Friedman stated that he believed a "two-state solution" was the best way to solve the conflict. A two-state solution means creating an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. He also agreed to stop his business activities in the region and end his support for expanding Israeli settlements.
On March 9, 2017, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved his nomination. The full Senate officially confirmed him on March 23. Most Republican senators voted for him, while most Democratic senators voted against him. This was a very close vote, which was unusual for an ambassador to Israel.
On March 29, 2017, Vice President Mike Pence officially swore Friedman into his new role.
As Ambassador
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David Friedman became the U.S. ambassador to Israel on May 15, 2017. He presented his official papers to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.
In 2019, The Jerusalem Post newspaper named him one of the world's 50 most influential Jewish people. In January 2021, The New York Times described him as a very important ambassador. They said he helped change how the White House dealt with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Friedman believed that Israeli settlements in the West Bank were not illegal. He also supported Israel taking control of parts of the West Bank.
He was nominated for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the Abraham Accords. These agreements helped normalize relations between Israel and several Arab nations.
After Being Ambassador
After his time as ambassador ended, Friedman started the Friedman Center for Peace through Strength. This center aims to continue the progress made by the Abraham Accords. It opened in 2021 at the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem in Jerusalem.
In 2022, Friedman released a book called Sledgehammer: How Breaking with the Past Brought Peace to the Middle East. In the book, he shares his experiences as ambassador and how the Abraham Accords came about.
In November 2022, when Donald Trump met with some controversial figures, Friedman spoke out. He tweeted that meeting with an "antisemite" and "human scum" was unacceptable. He urged Trump to reject them.
On June 13, 2023, Friedman publicly supported Donald Trump for president again.
In 2023, Friedman appeared in a documentary called Route 60: The Biblical Highway.
In June 2024, Friedman published another book, One Jewish State: The Last, Best Hope to Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. This book talks about his ideas for solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Personal Life
David Friedman is an Orthodox Jew, which means he follows a strict form of Judaism. He can speak Hebrew fluently.
He has been married to Tammy Deborah Sand since 1981. They have five children and seven grandchildren. His daughter, Talia Friedman, moved to Israel and became an Israeli citizen in August 2017.
In 1984, Friedman met President Ronald Reagan. Reagan visited Friedman's father's synagogue, Temple Hillel. This was the first time a sitting U.S. president had visited a synagogue since George Washington. Friedman became friends with Donald Trump in 2005. This happened after Trump visited him to offer comfort when Friedman's father passed away.
See also
In Spanish: David M. Friedman para niños
