David M. Friedman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David M. Friedman
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Official portrait, 2017
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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 |
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David Melech Friedman (born 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 served as ambassador from 2017 to 2021.
He worked as a lawyer for many years. He joined a law firm in 1994 where he met and worked for Donald Trump. Later, he became an important advisor to Trump during his successful presidential campaign in 2016.
In December 2016, Donald Trump chose Friedman to be the ambassador to Israel. The Senate approved his nomination. He officially started his job on May 15, 2017.
Contents
Early Life and School
David Friedman was born in 1958. 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 grew up in North Woodmere, New York.
He went to the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County high school. After that, he studied anthropology at Columbia University. He earned his first degree in 1978. Then, he went to New York University School of Law and became a lawyer in 1981. He has been a member of the New York State Bar Association since 1982.
Working as a Lawyer and Helping Others
In 1994, David Friedman started working at a law firm called Kasowitz, Hoff, Benson & Torres. He became a partner there in 1995. The firm's name changed to Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman.
He led the team that helped businesses deal with financial problems. In this role, he advised and represented Donald Trump and his company, The Trump Organization. This included helping with issues related to Trump's casinos in Atlantic City.
Friedman also spent time helping different organizations. He led American Friends of Bet El Institutions. This group supports Israeli settlements and does not agree with a two-state solution for the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. A two-state solution means creating two separate states for Israelis and Palestinians. Israeli settlements are communities where Israelis live in areas that Palestinians also claim.
He also wrote articles for an Israeli news website called Arutz Sheva. In his writings, he often said that Israeli settlements were legal. He also supported United Hatzalah, an Israeli emergency medical service, and Aleh Negev, a village for people with disabilities in southern Israel.
Donald Trump's 2016 Presidential Campaign
During Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, David Friedman advised him on issues related to Israel and Jewish communities. He was a co-chair of Trump's Israel Advisory Committee.
One of Trump's campaign promises was to move the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The U.S. embassy is the official office of the U.S. government in another country. Moving it to Jerusalem would be a big change. For many years, the U.S. believed that Jerusalem's final status should be decided through talks between Israelis and Palestinians.
On December 6, 2017, President Trump announced that the U.S. would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He also said the U.S. embassy would move there. This was a very important decision.
Becoming U.S. Ambassador to Israel
Reactions to His Nomination
On December 15, 2016, Donald Trump announced that David Friedman was his choice for U.S. Ambassador to Israel. This choice caused some debate.
Some groups and people, including some American Jewish, Israeli, and Palestinian individuals, did not support his nomination. They were concerned about his views on moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. They also worried about his support for Israel possibly taking over parts of the West Bank. The U.S. has generally been against Israeli settlements in the West Bank since 1967.
A group called J Street strongly opposed Friedman's nomination. Friedman had made very strong comments about J Street supporters in the past. He later apologized for his harsh language, but he still disagreed with their views. Other groups also opposed his nomination.
However, many other Jewish and Israeli groups supported Friedman. They believed he would improve the relationship between Israel and the United States. Israeli politicians also welcomed his nomination.
Senate Approval
David Friedman's approval hearing was held on February 16, 2017. During the hearing, he said he believed a two-state solution was the best way to solve the conflict. This was different from some of his earlier statements. 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 voted to approve his nomination. The vote was 12 to 9. Most Republican senators supported him, while most Democratic senators did not.
Friedman was officially approved by the Senate on March 23. This vote was very divided along party lines, which was unusual for an ambassador to Israel. On March 29, Vice President Mike Pence officially swore him into office.
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.
During his time as ambassador, he was seen as very influential. He helped change the White House's policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He also stated that Israeli settlements in the West Bank were not illegal.
Friedman played a key role in negotiating the Abraham Accords. These were historic agreements that led to several Arab nations making peace with Israel. For his work on these accords, he was nominated for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.
After Being Ambassador
After his term as ambassador ended, David Friedman started the Friedman Center for Peace through Strength. This center aims to continue the progress made by the Abraham Accords. It is located 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 Kanye West and Nick Fuentes, Friedman spoke out strongly. He tweeted that meeting with an "antisemite like Kanye West and human scum like Nick Fuentes is unacceptable." He urged Trump to "throw those bums out."
In June 2023, Friedman supported Donald Trump for president again. 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 resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Personal Life
David Friedman is an Orthodox Jew. He speaks Hebrew fluently. He has been married to his wife, 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 2017.
In 1984, Friedman met President Ronald Reagan. Reagan visited Temple Hillel, which was Friedman's father's synagogue. 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.
Images for kids
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Friedman with Israeli politician Bezalel Smotrich
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David Friedman is sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence.
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See also
In Spanish: David M. Friedman para niños
