How is it that antisemitism is flourishing despite the horrific massacre? What would sovereignty bring to the Middle East? Why is the average American growing more distant from Israel? Former U.S. Ambassador David Friedman speaks to Sovereignty.
Amid a media assault, both in Israel and internationally, that created, amplified, and inflated the “settler violence” narrative, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman took a firm stand in support of Israel. We spoke with him about the campaign and its objectives, as well as the importance of advancing sovereignty.
You have courageously challenged the libel campaign surrounding so-called “settler violence,” which has led many people to accept a distorted picture of what is happening on the ground. In your view, what lies behind this campaign, and why has it gained such traction?
Initially, the Israel haters focused on the diabolically false claim that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. It was a very powerful argument that those who were once victims of genocide had now flipped to the dark side. The only problem was that the claim was demonstrably untrue.
The genocide claim simply collapsed. Quantitatively, the numbers didn’t support the argument, even the UN admitted that food supplies were abundant, and military experts affirmed that Israeli soldiers risked their own lives to minimize civilian casualties.
So the genocide narrative was unsupportable for anyone with even a modicum of intellectual honesty, but the haters still needed an anti - Israel narrative. Enter settler violence.
For those seeking to disparage Israel, this claim has several advantages: 1) it is not directly related to the October 7 atrocities, 2) journalists can easily stage an event by waiting for settlers to react to a provocation, and 3) there is no shortage of Israelis who are willing to go on the record to condemn the settlers.
What the world is missing from this narrative is that, while settler violence occasionally exists, it is dwarfed by Palestinian terror.
The bottom line is that settler violence is not a cause of unrest in Judea and Samaria, it is an effect — an effect brought about by Palestinian terror and the vacuum created by the absence of Israeli sovereignty.
In your 60 Minutes interview, you argued that the only viable solution is to establish a genuine sovereign authority, with Israel as the only realistic candidate. Why do you believe that Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria would lead to greater stability and calm?
Israel is the only sovereign that properly can fill the vacuum that exists today. It is a First World country with a track record of empowering its Arab minority. Arab-Israelis have the highest standard of living in the Middle East. Once Israel becomes sovereign over Judea and Samaria, it will be able to elevate the lives of those Arabs willing to live in peace with Israel.
In addition, it is almost universally recognized today that Israel lacks defendable borders without full security control over Judea and Samaria. Only sovereignty assures that outcome in the long term.
How do you explain the growing influence of the Palestinian narrative on international media coverage, and what factors have enabled it to shape global perceptions of Israel?
Money. Lots of money is being poured into traditional media, social media, and universities around the world. The pro-Israel world can’t compete with those overwhelming resources.
Immediately after October 7, Israel received widespread expressions of solidarity. Yet this was followed by a dramatic rise in antisemitism and growing hostility toward Israel around the world. How do you explain this shift?
I think the Israel hatred was always there. The current mayor of New York condemned Israel on October 8, weeks before Israel went into Gaza. This was a very carefully choreographed and well-funded campaign by the Israel haters who were just waiting for the opportunity to pounce.
In your view, what needs to happen for the Israeli government to take the historic decision to apply Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria? What are the main obstacles, and what could finally overcome them?
Sovereignty comes, first and foremost, from a decision of the Israeli people that, with respect to Judea and Samaria, 59 years in the wilderness of ambiguity and indecision has brought Israel nothing but misery. It is time for Israel to decide for itself where its future best lies.
American support is important as well. Not financial or military support but simply the recognition that just like America should decide what is best for America, Israel must decide what is best for Israel. That mutual respect is the best indicator of true friendship.
Recent media reports suggest growing distance from Israel among American Jews, particularly younger generations. Is this an accurate picture? Are similar trends evident among young Republicans or the broader Republican public? Following October 7 and the ensuing war, one might have expected support for Israel to strengthen. Are we witnessing a genuine shift in American public opinion, or does the media present a partial picture? If this distancing is real, what should Israel and its American supporters do to strengthen ties with the next generation?
America undoubtedly is moving away from Israel. A majority of Democrats no longer support Israel and even the Republican Party is showing some weakening. There can be no assurance that Israel will ever again have a friend like President Trump in the White House. Many Jews in particular no longer consider themselves Zionists.
There are a few ways to address these problems. Most important is that more Jews receive an adequate education regarding Jewish history and Jewish texts. Second, Israel must no longer assume US support based upon notions of faith or friendship. Israel must be able to demonstrate that it is in America’s national interests to support Israel. I believe that case can easily be made. Finally, Israel must act proudly and decisively to achieve its national goals and make its case persuasively to the world.
This article was originally published in Sovereignty Journal, Issue No. 20 (October 2026). 📖 "Click here to read the full issue