Ambassador David Friedman Announces New Movement, One Jewish State
David Friedman, former US Ambassador to Israel presented his ‘One Jewish State movement,’ yesterday in Manhattan at a news conference. Friedman elaborated on ‘One Jewish State’ (1JP), which firmly opposes a two-state solution and advocates for a single Jewish state encompassing all of Israel, including Judea and Samaria.
Friedman criticized the recent advocacy for a two-state solution by President Joe Biden, labeling it as “tone-deaf” and unsuitable, especially in light of the events of October 7th. He pointed to the situation in Gaza as a cautionary example, where significant financial aid and resources have led to peace but rather were hijacked for the construction of terror tunnels and acquisition of weapons. “Anyone who’s looking at this today has to understand that there can not, under any circumstances, be a two-state solution, and we have to fight it,” he asserted.
As an alternative, Friedman proposed that the United States help Israel become more comfortable with extending its sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. At the Jerusalem Conference hosted by Arutz Sheva-Israel National News, Friedman explained the vision behind ‘One Jewish State’ (1JP) of complete Israeli sovereignty and emphasized that this solution should apply to the entire area, not just Area C, suggesting that this approach could appeal to various political and ideological groups.
“You can support this if you’re on the right because you’re happy about sovereignty; you can support this on the left if you think that Palestinians should have a better life,” he said. “You can support this if you’re secular because you just see it as the only way that Israel will ever have security; or you can support this if you’re religious and you think that this is the land given by God to the Jewish people, as I do.”
Friedman also commented on the undue pressure from the Biden administration on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding a proposed deal with Hamas. He criticized the timing and nature of the announcement of the proposal, which he claims misrepresented Israel’s stance and increased pressure on Netanyahu. Friedman emphasized that maximum pressure on Hamas is essential to secure the release of hostages.
According to Friedman, “The pressure Biden is putting on Netanyahu right now is extraordinary. I think that what he did on Friday was announce an Israeli proposal at a time when it was Shabbat in Israel. Netanyahu wasn’t even supposed to respond to it, forcing Israel to respond after it was already Shabbat.
“A proposal that Israel never made, or certainly leaving out, the critical piece of it, which is that Hamas will be destroyed. I think the pressure is tremendous, and I think that Netanyahu is being confronted also by America and others with this false choice that you can either deal with the war or free the hostages, but not both. And I’ve never understood that conflict, especially when dealing with Hamas.”
Friedman rejected the notion of 1JP being a “land grab” and emphasized the importance of building upon the Abraham Accords to engage Gulf states. He believes that Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia, are aware that a Palestinian state would pose significant security threats to the entire region. According to Friedman, the Biden administration is pushing the two-state solution, using the false guise of Saudi normalization as a pretext. “At the end of the day,” Friedman stated, “everyone in the Middle East knows that a Palestinian state is a terror state. It’s a rebirth of Hamas, it’s a rebirth of the worst forces that confront, not just Israel, but the moderate Sunni nations as well.”
Addressing the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Friedman explained that the notion of a swift end to the war is unrealistic. He pointed out that Israel faces a radicalized Palestinian population and lacks regional support for handling Gaza’s issues post-conflict. He criticized international efforts, such as those by the UN, as negligently ineffective, citing the continued militarization of Hezbollah despite UNIFIL’s nearly two decade presence in Lebanon.
Friedman also commented on the pressure from the Biden administration on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding a proposed deal with Hamas. He criticized the timing and nature of the announcement of the proposal, which he claims misrepresented Israel’s stance and increased pressure on Netanyahu. Friedman emphasized that maximum pressure on Hamas is essential to secure the release of hostages.
Furthermore, Friedman revealed insights into the influence within the White House, mentioning key figures in the National Security Council and their affiliations with pro-Palestinian organizations.
“Down the hall from the Oval Office is the National Security Council, which is the President’s personal advisor on security, they have a huge amount of influence,” explained Friedman. “The number two guy in the NSC, advising on the Middle East, is a guy by the name of Maher Bitar, he is one of the founders of Students for Justice in Palestine. That’s the guy who’s down the hall from the Oval Office.”
Friedman expressed skepticism about President Biden’s personal awareness of these influences, suggesting that key advisors like Tony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Maher Bitar, and Hady Amr drive the administration’s policy towards a two-state solution, aiming to undermine Netanyahu’s position.
Friedman had first outlined his vision for ‘One Jewish State’ at the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) conference in February. In Nashville, Friedman made two speeches. The first was at the ‘Keep God’s Land’ event organized by Israel365 and a coalition of over 150 faith based organizations. The second talk was at the Presidential Forum organized by the NRB. President Donald Trump spoke to nearly three thousand Christian media and journalism professionals. Midway through his remarks, Trump called Friedman onto the stage where the two exchanged compliments.
As the only speaker called spontaneously onto stage in a convention hall full of influential figures, Friedman’s selection has led to speculation about a potential role for the former ambassador. Israel’s ambassador is a vital role in American foreign policy, and Freidman is only one of a few Trump appointees who served for Trump’s entire term.
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