Media

  • Jewish Currents: Philanthropist Michael Leven Donated to Canary Mission Blacklist

    “‘The Jewish mainstream looks at Canary Mission and it makes them uncomfortable. The idea of trying to ruin students’ lives is uncomfortable. But the bottom line is it comes out of the Jewish mainstream,’ said Lara Friedman, President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace (and a contributing writer to Jewish Currents). ‘Shutting down critics of Israel and criticism of Israel on campuses is in the mainstream. [Leven’s donation] is one more piece of evidence of how mainstream it is.’”

  • How anti-BDS laws paved the way for the assault on critical race theory (+972 Magazine)

    “According to Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace, Israel — whether its backers intend it or not — is often used as a wedge issue to make reactionary policy palatable to liberals and progressives. Once reactionary policies designed to help Israel are passed, they are often expanded upon to other fields. Friedman pointed to legislation in states like Texas that targets private businesses for discrimination against the gun, oil, and gas industries, which are based in part on anti-BDS legislation. These Israel-related bills, she said, are ‘the tip of the spear to destroying free speech.’”

  • Settlement & Annexation Report: October 8, 2021

    Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week. To subscribe to this report, please click…

  • Both of These Politicians Opposed Iron Dome Funding. Only One Was Called Antisemitic (Haaretz)

    “Foundation for Middle East Peace President Lara Friedman says the Iron Dome response is ‘the latest example of the selective outrage when it comes to anyone who doesn’t hew to the expected status quo position when it comes to supporting Israel.’ She says the difference in Democrats’ statements on Paul compared to the House fury ‘would suggest that much of the elected Democratic Party either wants to fend off accusations that Democrats are insufficiently pro-Israel, or they are very happy piling on to delegitimize members of their own party who hold positions on Israel that they find uncomfortable. There seems to be an insistence on differentiating between why somebody is asking questions about something related to Israel,’ she says. If ‘the person who was asking questions is Republican, and is doing so ostensibly for reasons that are not about criticizing Israeli policy, then that’s basically [seen as] OK. If a Democrat is seen to be obstructing in ways that have anything to do with a kishkes test that says they are not sufficiently supportive of Israel, right or wrong, then they fail,’ she adds.”