Lara Friedman

By Lara Friedman

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  Opinion

  BDS Is A Trap For Democrats

  On Monday night, the United States Senate voted to advance a bill that will quash free speech in the name of supporting Israel. It’s just one more sign that Israel-Palestine is being used as a potent weapon in today’s political arena. The bill is S. 1, aka the “Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East…

  By Lara Friedman Jan 28, 2019 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Opinion | The Surprising New Battleground In the War Against Palestinian Rights: Your Local Courthouse

  On November 26, 2018, a New York-based lawyer named David Abrams announced that he had filed a lawsuit against Airbnb over its decision to stop providing services in West Bank settlements. Abrams filed the lawsuit on behalf of a “Jewish-owned” Israeli corporation based in “Judea and Samaria” — more commonly known as the West Bank…

  By Lara Friedman Jan 7, 2019 | 8 min read
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  Opinion

  Israel Made A Huge Mistake. Trump Is Terrible For The Jews

  A recent poll found that three out of four Israelis approve of U.S. President Donald Trump’s handling of U.S.-Israel relations, while nearly 60% of American Jews disapprove of it. In the wake of these results, an Israeli colleague asked me: Is it possible that Israelis are right? That Trump is actually good for Israel? It’s…

  By Lara Friedman Jun 18, 2018 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  BDS Opponents Want Israel Held To A Lower Standard

  The recent Pew Poll reporting a decline in Democratic support for Israel sparked much hand wringing, debate and critical analysis. Some dissected the poll’s weaknesses. Others examined the partisan issues in play. Still others focused, correctly, on American progressives’ substantive objections to the policies of the Israeli government and the values they embody. But too…

  By Lara Friedman Jan 31, 2018 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Israel’s Deplorable Boycott Of BDS Supporters Is Just The Beginning

  Over the weekend, in a decision redolent of the repressive policies of the old Soviet Union, the Israeli government blacklisted 20 international organizations, officially barring entry to these groups’ officials and activists expressly for their peaceful opposition to the Israeli government’s policies. It would be bad enough – for all who cherish progressive democratic values…

  By Lara Friedman Jan 9, 2018 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  That Palestinian Girl’s Viral Video? The Real Scandal Is That Israeli Troops Were There At All

  The video is striking — no pun intended. A 16 year-old Palestinian girl in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh grapples with Israeli soldiers in full combat gear and armed to the teeth. Despite the fact that she swats and kicks at them, the soldiers, likely hardly older than their tormentor, show admirable restraint,…

  By Lara Friedman Dec 20, 2017 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  11 Lies Netanyahu Told Congress on Iran

  Getty Images / Lior Zaltzman The case Netanyahu laid out against an Iran deal in his address to Congress revolves around 11 core arguments. Think they sound convincing? Look at those arguments one by one, and you’ll see why each of them is bogus. Argument #1. More pressure can secure a better deal with Iran…

  By Lara Friedman Mar 3, 2015 | 6 min read
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  Opinion

  Stop Babying Israel at the U.N. Security Council

  Young Jews argue with pro-Palestinian supporters beside a banner calling for a Palestinian state The prospect of a U.N. Security Council vote on parameters and a timeline for Israel-Palestinian negotiations, coming as it does in the lead-up to Israeli elections, is eliciting this tricky argument: “We can’t pressure Israel when Israelis are going to the…

  By Lara Friedman Dec 23, 2014 | 3 min read