U.S. Amb. Friedman Meets With J Street, Which He Once Called ‘Worse Than Kapos’

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By Daniel J. Solomon July 3, 2017

United States Ambassador to Israel David Friedman met with a delegation organized by the left-wing organization J Street on Monday, despite having previously called the dovish group “worse than kapos” — the Jews who assisted the Nazis during the Holocaust.

The delegation included seven Democratic congressmen and J Street’s senior leadership. Friedman had vowed at his confirmation hearings to meet with actors across the political spectrum.

A close confidant and sometime attorney for President Trump, Friedman upset many on the Jewish left with comments denigrating J Street and other liberal elements within the Jewish community.

J Street issued a statement after the meeting thanking Friedman for his attention and stressing the importance of dialogue. “We value Ambassador Friedman’s willingness to meet with Congressmen as part of the pro-Israel lobby J Street,” the statement read. “We believe it is vital to keep an open line of communication between Jewish American and Israeli leaders with different political backgrounds.”

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

Daniel J. Solomon is the former Assistant to the Editor/News Writer at the Forward. Originally from Queens, he attended Harvard as an undergraduate, where he wrote his senior thesis on French-Jewish intellectual history. He is excited to have returned to New York after his time in Massachusetts. Daniel’s passions include folk music, cycling, and pointed argument.