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 solomon@forward.com 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.

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