As the United States Ambassador to Israel from March 2017 until January2021, Ambassador David Friedman successfully guided unprecedented diplomaticadvancements in the US – Israel relationship, including moving the United StatesEmbassy to Jerusalem and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.He also is among a small group of American officials responsible for the “AbrahamAccords” -- peace and normalization agreements between Israel and the UAE,Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco -- for which he was nominated for the Nobel PeacePrize in 2021.
Ambassador Friedman has been recognized by the Jerusalem Post on manyoccasions as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world, coming in fourth in2018, second in 2019 and first in 2020. He also was named one of the 20 MostImpactful Persons of the Past Decade by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Ambassador Friedman was honored by President Trump with the NationalSecurity Medal in September 2020 – less than 100 Americans have received thataward in its history -- and by the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff with theMeritorious Civilian Service Medal in April 2019. He has received numerous otherhonors, recognitions and awards, including honorary doctorates from YeshivaUniversity in New York and Ariel University in the Shomron.
Ambassador Friedman is the founder of The Friedman Center for Peacethrough Strength which works to build upon the Ambassador’s achievements instrengthening the US-Israel relationship.
On February 8, 2022, HarperCollins published Ambassador Friedman’s memoir,Sledgehammer: How Breaking with the Past Brought Peace to the Middle East.In its first week, Sledgehammer broke sales records for a book on the State ofIsrael.
In January, 2023, Ambassador Friedman premiered his film, Route 60: TheBiblical Highway co-produced with the TBN Network and starring AmbassadorFriedman and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The film presents the majesty ofBiblical Israel throughout Judea and Samaria, as seen through the eyes of anOrthodox Jew and an Evangelical Christian. In its short theatrical run across 1100theatres in the United States, Route 60 was the most popular film in the country.
On September 3, 2024, Ambassador Friedman released his second book, OneJewish State: The Last Best Hope to Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.Already a best seller, One Jewish States makes the case for Israeli sovereigntyover all of Judea and Samaria, also referred to as the West Bank. To learn more,please visit OneJewishState.com
Prior to joining the State Department in 2017, Ambassador Friedman practicedlaw with Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP, a law firm of some 300attorneys which he co-founded in 1994. He specialized in complex financialrestructuring and litigation, and played a leading role in some of the largestbusiness bankruptcies in history. Since leaving government service, AmbassadorFriedman has worked in the private sector on numerous assignments, including asa senior advisor to a large private equity fund.
Since his early years, Ambassador Friedman has been a student of the Bible,the Talmud and its texts and commentaries. He continues those studies to thisday.
Ambassador Friedman also is a relatively unimpressive musician. Whencircumstances permit, he plays guitar in Ambassador Mike Huckabee’s band. Heand his wife Tammy have been married for 44 years and are blessed withbeautiful children and grandchildren.