Skip to content
  • Image
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Podcasts
  • Email
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Contact
The Arab Daily News

The Arab Daily News

Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem

  • About
    • About
    • Our Writers
    • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
    • Book Store
    • Contact
    • Submit Book Reviews, Press Releases
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Corrections Policy
    • Profile on Ray Hanania
    • Submit Press Release
  • Features
    • Food
    • Book Review
    • Humor
    • Movies
    • Travel
  • Arab Stores Targeted
  • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Heritage America resources
    • Directory
      • Groups & Organizations
      • Mosques, Churches
      • Restaurants
      • 2008 & 2014 Arab Media Directories
    • National Arab Heritage Month
    • Video: Chicago Arab History
    • Video: Photo Array of Chicago Arabs
    • Overview of Arabs in America
    • Hanania standup comedy
    • Arabs on the Titanic
    • Obituaries
  • Podcasts
    • Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast
    • Arab News Ray Hanania Radio
    • Arab Radio Podcast intro
    • Radio Baladi Detroit
  • Hanania on Tiktok
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Toggle search form
  • Al-Haq
    War crimes probe urged against two Israeli snipers who intentionally killed civilian women, children Christian & Muslim
  • CAIR Executive Director and co-founder Nihad Awad
    CAIR Says Israel Turns Gaza into ‘Human Slaughterhouse’ as Killing of Civilians Continues Arab World
  • photo credit author Nehemia Gershuni-Aylho www.NGPhoto.biz and Wikipedia
    Emergency Court Motions to Stop Elbit Drone Parts Shipment via Frankfurt Airport  Activism
  • American Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh murdered by Israeli soldiers May 11, 2022
    Documentary names soldier it says killed Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022 American Arabs
  • Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ
    Jordan bans 12 news sites for ‘spreading media poison’ following corruption report Arab World
  • CAIR Logo. Council on American Islamic Relations
    CAIR Condemns MIT for banning Class President from Graduation Ceremony over Anti-Genocide speech Activism
  • ADC creates emergency fund to defend people who are being punished for expressing views on the American-sanction violence by Israel in the Gaza Strip. Photo courtesy of ADC
    ADC Condemns ADL, Rep. Torres’ Defamation of Dr. Lara Sheehi Activism
  • UN Special Committee on Israeli practices in occupied territories warns of a second Nakba  Arab World
  • Arab American community liaison Hassan Nijem, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Basta at the Arab American Heritage Month event hosted by Pappas’s office.
    Pappas honors Arab American business and community leaders for Heritage Month Activism
  • 04-28-25 Pappas Arab Heritage Month
    Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas recognizes Arab American Heritage Month by honoring business and community leaders American Arabs
  • Stuffed Grape Leaves. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    A recipe on how to make Stuffed Grape Leaves with lamb, ox tail and rice American Arabs
  • Andrew Boutros, interim US Attorney Northern District of Illinois. Photo courtesy of the US Attorney's Office
    Andrew S. Boutros Takes Oath of Office as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois American Arabs
  • Israeli massacres of Palestinian civilians March 18 2025
    Palestinians demand investigation of Israeli war crimes in Gaza Strip Arab World
  • Illinois Muslim Action Day April 9 2025
    Illinois Muslim Action Day Policies at April 9 Statehouse News Conference American Arabs
  • Investigation demanded in March 23 massacre of 15 first responders by Israel's military in Rafah
    Investigation demanded into Israel slaughter of First Responder in Rafah on March 23, 2025 Arab World

Prominent Muslim group slams Friedman nomination

Posted on December 21, 2016December 21, 2016 By rayhanania 1 Comment on Prominent Muslim group slams Friedman nomination
SHARE ...
          
 
  

  • Tweet

Prominent Muslim group slams Friedman nomination

The American Muslims for Palestine slammed the nomination of David Friedman as US Ambassador to Israel, saying it is “wrong for America”

President Elect Donald Trump’s nomination of David Friedman is not only short-sighted and potentially destabilizing, it undermines the United States’ self-proclaimed standing among its global partners as an honest broker for peace.

The American Muslims for Palestine asserts Friedman’s nomination puts Israel’s interests ahead of Americans’ and urges senators to refuse to confirm him.

The man who has served as Donald Trump’s bankruptcy lawyer for the last 15 years has no diplomatic experience and holds biased views on the Middle East that favor the extremist settler movement.

The New York Times editorial board has said Friedman would be “far more likely to provoke conflict in Israel and the occupied territories, heighten regional tensions and undermine American leadership.”

We agree. Friedman is the president of American Friends of Bet El Yeshiva, a pro-settlement organization that raises money for Beit El, a settlement near the Palestinian city of Ramallah.

Embed from Getty Images

Contrary to decades of U.S. policy that views settlements as illegal, illegitimate and an obstacle to peace, Friedman supports expansionist policies and Israeli annexation of the West Bank. He also has vowed to serve as ambassador from the “U.S. embassy in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem.”

Neither the United States nor the global community accepts the outcome of Israel’s 1967 war, which resulted in the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. Countless United Nations Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 242, recognize the occupation as illegal. U.S. policy views East Jerusalem as disputed territory, whose final status should be determined thorough negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis. International law and the global community consider Jerusalem occupied territory and see it as the future capital of a Palestinian state.

Even though Congress passed a bill in 1995 allowing for the U.S. embassy to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, each president since has signed a waiver every six months prohibiting the action. In fact, the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel holds this law to be unconstitutional, and all presidents since Bill Clinton have viewed it as an infringement by Congress on the presidential powers of the executive branch. Moving the embassy to East Jerusalem would inflame tensions in the region, throughout the Arab and Muslim worlds and would significantly weaken the U.S.’ stance in the international arena. It would also threaten Americans national security.

Mr. Trump’s choice of Friedman is another example of his lack of political and diplomatic experience and smacks of putting Israel’s interests ahead of the interests of the people of the United States.

For these reasons, AMP asserts the nomination of Mr. Friedman is wrong for America and we call upon the Senate to reject his candidacy for the leading diplomatic position in Israel and Palestine.

newswire info
  • About
  • Latest Posts
rayhanania
rayhanania
Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster at The Arab Daily News
Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.

Follow RayHanania at Twitter
rayhanania
Latest posts by rayhanania (see all)
  • Israelisnipers shooting and killing hospital workers in Gaza - December 11, 2023
  • CAIR Condemns Israeli Executions of Wounded, Unarmed Palestinian in West Bank   - December 11, 2023
  • Arab and Muslim American voters face a “simple choice” between Biden’s inhumanity and Trump’s edgy politics - December 9, 2023

  • Tweet

SHARE ...
          
 
  
 
          
 
 Tweet 
Arab World, Israel, News, Palestine & Jordan, Press Releases Tags:American Muslims for Palestine, AMP, David Friedman, DOnald Trump, extremist, settler fanatic, U.S. Ambassador to Israel

Post navigation

Previous Post: Children among those evacuated from Eastern Aleppo, Syria
Next Post: Pioneering Middle East Magazine publisher dies

Related Posts

  • Yasmin Ricci-Yahav, October 2019. Conscientious Objector refusing to serve int he IDF because of the attacks Gaza. Courtesy of Mesarvot
    Israeli woman refuses to serve in IDF Arab World
  • Congresswoman Debbie Dingell Wikipedia
    Dingell, Tlaib Introduce Resolution Recognizing Eid al-Fitr Christian & Muslim
  • Advertise in The Arab Daily News Activism
  • Chicago painter leaves mark in United Arab Emirates Activism
  • Finding the elusive Moral High Ground in Israel-Gaza War Arab World
  • Chicago Census office to hire Arabic partner for Census American Arabs

More Related Articles

US Arab Radio to showcase Ramadan voices and traditions American Arabs
Martin Luther King leaning on a lectern. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Defying Israel’s Civil Rights abuses through Martin Luther King Jr. Arab World
Bassiouni under attack from extremists who hate Israel, peace & moderates American Arabs
Imad Hamad is the executive director of the American Human Rights Council AHRC Hosts High- Level UNRWA Delegation in Dearborn American Arabs
MedGlobal humanitarian appeal for Gaza violence victims Bombing of Al Ahli hospital in Gaza worst attack on healthcare this century  American Arabs
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Sudan jails al-Tayar journalist over article alleging corruption in president’s family Arab World

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Ray Hanania's 4 times a week columns at https://RayHanania.com at Substack

Enter Your Email to Subscribe to Ray Hanania’s Columns

  • OPINION COLUMNS
  • Photo courtesy of Journalist Abdennour Toumi
    France: Political Compromise vs Political Instability
    August 28, 2024
  • Zakia Restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia
    Arabs eat Middle East food like they are making love
    June 27, 2024
  • Zwar lamb kabob and kufta with white and yellow rice
    Zwar ranked the Best Middle East restaurant in Chicagoland suburbs
    June 8, 2024
  • Pictured: Rahm Emanuel, Afghan activist Salman Aftab who was co-chair of the Iftar dinner, and several non-Arab Muslim leaders. Also pictured is Ald. Joe Moore. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania for Arab News
    Comprehensive look at the failings of former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel
    January 18, 2024
  • NEWSWIRE
  • CAIR Logo. Council on American Islamic Relations
    CAIR Condemns MIT for banning Class President from Graduation Ceremony over Anti-Genocide speech
    June 1, 2025
  • Arab American community liaison Hassan Nijem, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Basta at the Arab American Heritage Month event hosted by Pappas’s office.
    Pappas honors Arab American business and community leaders for Heritage Month
    April 29, 2025
  • 04-28-25 Pappas Arab Heritage Month
    Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas recognizes Arab American Heritage Month by honoring business and community leaders
    April 27, 2025
  • Mike Ghouse
    Celebration of 500th Interfaith Marriage Ceremony
    February 14, 2025

Creative Commons License
All work on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

  • NEWS
  • Al-Haq
    War crimes probe urged against two Israeli snipers who intentionally killed civilian women, children
    July 2, 2025
  • CAIR Executive Director and co-founder Nihad Awad
    CAIR Says Israel Turns Gaza into ‘Human Slaughterhouse’ as Killing of Civilians Continues
    July 1, 2025
  • BOOK REVIEWS
  • Faisal Abbas Book Anecdotes
    Book Review: Arab author shares his anecdotes living in the United Kingdom
    October 22, 2024
  • Columnist Ray Hanania at the ADC Convention in Dearborn with the author Susan Abulhawa
    Book Review: Mornings in Jenin bySusan Abulhawa
    September 14, 2024
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • Television set and remote. Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
    MBC GROUP unveils MBCNOW, its brand-new groundbreaking entertainment service aggregator
    February 24, 2025
  • ArabCon 2024 Gala Program features Dr. Cornel West, Macklemore, and more
    September 6, 2024
  • New-iTunes-1400-x-1400-The-Ray-Hanania-Show-Podcast-Icon-300-x-300.jpg
  • Podcast-iTunes-Logo-Chi-City-Hall-1985.jpg
  • powerpr300x300ad.jpg
  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png
  • terroristbookcover-300-x-300.jpg
Arab News Newspaper Logo
Read the Arab News, the leading English language newspaper in the MIddle East

Follow Ray Hanania at
Twitter
Facebook
TitkTok
BlueSky
RayHanania Columns

Click here to get information on The Ray Hanania Radio Show and its podcasts

Copyright © 2025 The Arab Daily News.

Powered by PressBook Premium theme