I generally agree.with Friedman in this article, (text below) however,
Demonizing Netanyahu, Israel, and the Jews is pouring gasoline on a fire. It puts people in danger.
2 million of the 7 million people Friedman describes as “Palestinians” are Israeli Arabs. Many – those who serve in the IDF, police forces, Knesset, who practice medicine, who vote, etc. – consider themselves Israelis, proud Israelis, not “Palestinians.” Maybe they are lying, maybe they are AI constructs in social media. But they don’t seem to be lining up to live as felahin in another Muslim Arab totalitarian state.
Friedman should consider telling Mamdani, and the Times’ readers, about the Israel – Lebanon negotiations, Israel – Somaliland accord, Israel and Morocco, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, etc.
Comparing Netanyahu to Mamdani is, at the very least, flawed. Netanyahu has over 40 years more experience than Mamdani. He is focused on doing what he can to protect Israel and prepare for the future. Mamdani should be focused on doing the same for the City of New York. He should be focused on the Legionnaire’s Disease problem that has killed six people, on crime, including the attempted murder of two men on the Upper West Side on July 23, 2026, (NBC here), but it appears that his focus is demonizing Israel.
In Friedman’s defense, he is a journalist writing with a narrow focus on Mamdani, his stunt, and Israel. He is not writing broadly about Israel writhin a larger geopolitical context.
Text of Friedman’s op-ed is below the fold
