Eli Friedman
Overview
Eli Friedman defended a pro-Hamas professor, expressed support for violent protesters, spread hatred of Israel and defended United States Congresswoman Ilhan Omar after she was denounced for making anti-Semitic remarks.As of March 5, 2024, Friedman listed as anassistant professor of international and comparative labor in the Department of Sociology at Cornell University (Cornell).
Defending a Pro-Hamas Professor
Friedman signed a November 2023 letter defending a professor at Cornell who showed support for the Hamas terror group the previous month.The November 21, 2023 letter was authored by “Members of Cornell University’s Faculty” and it called on Cornell to take action following “attacks on a faculty member over comments about Israel’s war on Gaza.”
The letter referred to Professor Russell Rickford, who gave a speech on October 15, 2023, praising [00:00:04] Hamas terror attacks and war crimes against Israeli civilians, including mass murder, torture, rape, beheadings and kidnappings. Hamas executed the terror attacks on October 7, 2023, and left over 1,200 Israelis dead, hundreds kidnapped and thousands wounded. Israel retaliated with a war called “Swords of Iron.”
Rickford said [00:01:39]: “It was exhilarating! It was exhilarating! It was energizing!” He then said [00:01:47] that if Palestinians “weren’t exhilarated by this challenge to the monopoly of violence, by this shifting of the balance of power, then they would not be human. I was exhilarated!”
Rickford made his statements at a rally hosted by the anti-Israel Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) organization.
On November 16, 2023, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) opened an investigation into discriminatory incidents, including anti-Semitic ones, at Cornell following the October 2023 Hamas terror attacks.
Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Canada, European Union, Israel and other countries. Founded in 1987, it has killed thousands of Israeli civilians through mass shootings and suicide bombings. Hamas has also kidnapped children, families and the elderly and held them hostage in Gaza. It has desecrated [slide 2] dead bodies and launched numerous rocket attacks against Israeli civilians.
On October 21, 2023, Friedman tweeted a photo of rally-goers protesting for Russell. Friedman wrote: “Out rallying for Russell and for free speech.”
Below the photo, Friedman included his October 19, 2023 tweet that read: “Please consider signing this petition in support of my friend and colleague. Russell has been subjected to vicious attacks from the right for his views on Israel/Palestine, and Cornell has done nothing to defend him…” The also tweet had a link to the petition.
The letter, signed by Friedman, stated that Israel’s actions were “a massacre in violation of international law and an outrage against basic principles of human rights, dignity and life. This massacre is the latest injustice in a 50-year occupation, and 70-year ethnic cleansing, endured by the Palestinian people at the hands of the Israeligovernment.”
The letter continued: “While many countries assault human rights on a daily basis, Israel is unique in its insistence that its actions — including those on the Gaza border in past weeks — are compatible with international law.”
Below the photo, Friedman included his October 19, 2023 tweet that read: “Please consider signing this petition in support of my friend and colleague. Russell has been subjected to vicious attacks from the right for his views on Israel/Palestine, and Cornell has done nothing to defend him…” The also tweet had a link to the petition.
Supporting Violent Protesters
Friedman signed a letter to the editor, published on May 6, 2018 by the Cornell Daily Sun newspaper, whose purpose was to “call on Cornellians of conscience to denounce the Israeli military’s recent massacre of unarmed Palestinian protesters participating in the Great March of Return in the Gaza Strip.”In May 2018, terror organization Hamas instigated the “March of Return.” Thousands of violent rioters attempted numerous breaches of Israel’s border fence with Gaza, seeking to harm Jews across the border. Media reports confirmed [00:00:20] protesters’ breaches and attempted breaches of the fence, some by armed Palestinians. On May 15, 2018, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Al-Zahhar said the Gaza protests were only a pretext of “peaceful resistance.”
The letter, signed by Friedman, stated that Israel’s actions were “a massacre in violation of international law and an outrage against basic principles of human rights, dignity and life. This massacre is the latest injustice in a 50-year occupation, and 70-year ethnic cleansing, endured by the Palestinian people at the hands of the Israeligovernment.”
March participants sent scores of kites bearing explosive devices across Israel’s border to burn Israeli crops and homes. Participants also attempted to breach the border fence, which caused the Israeli Defense Forces to respond with live fire. Agitators also threw Molotov cocktails and firebombs, shot firearms and threw rocks.
The letter continued: “While many countries assault human rights on a daily basis, Israel is unique in its insistence that its actions — including those on the Gaza border in past weeks — are compatible with international law.”
The violent riots continued until the end of 2018, accompanied by military-style attacks carried out by Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and other terror organizations. The attacks included gunfire, armed rioters penetrating Israeli territory, throwing IEDs and hand grenades and launching incendiary kites into Israel.
The letter concluded: “...we salute those Palestinian demonstrators who are facing one of the world’s military giants armed only with their determination to be free.”
On October 9, 2023, Friedman tweeted: “Apartheid is a regime for constraining the full deployment of genocide by keeping people alive in a subjugated & dehumanized state (often so they can be exploited). But every apartheid regime has that genocidal kernel.”
On October 7, 2023, the same day of the Hamas atrocities against Israel, Friedman tweeted: “A Chinese worker was injured near Ashkelon. No other info yet, but a Chinese company has been building a big expansion of nearby Ashdod port. Doing colonial infrastructure is a messy business…”
On Saturday, October 7, 2023, approximately 2,900 heavily armed Hamas terrorists breached Israel’s border with Gaza. They executed numerous war crimes on civilians, including mass murder, beheadings of children, rape of men and women, torture, kidnappings and mutilation. Hamas broadcast videos of their butchery on social media, often to victims’ accounts for families to see. Israel retaliated with a war called “Swords of Iron.” As of November 10, 2023, over 1,200 Israelis, the vast majority of them civilians, were murdered during the attacks. Hamas kidnapped 242 Israelis, including at least 30 children. At least 3,500 people were wounded, many severely.
Hatred of Israel
On October 13, 2023, Friedman tweeted a flyer that said: “Stop Israel’s Annihilation of Gaza” and “End US-Funded Aparthied.” Friedman wrote: “US can't give Israel a blank check to annihilate Gaza…”On October 9, 2023, Friedman tweeted: “Apartheid is a regime for constraining the full deployment of genocide by keeping people alive in a subjugated & dehumanized state (often so they can be exploited). But every apartheid regime has that genocidal kernel.”
On October 7, 2023, the same day of the Hamas atrocities against Israel, Friedman tweeted: “A Chinese worker was injured near Ashkelon. No other info yet, but a Chinese company has been building a big expansion of nearby Ashdod port. Doing colonial infrastructure is a messy business…”
On Saturday, October 7, 2023, approximately 2,900 heavily armed Hamas terrorists breached Israel’s border with Gaza. They executed numerous war crimes on civilians, including mass murder, beheadings of children, rape of men and women, torture, kidnappings and mutilation. Hamas broadcast videos of their butchery on social media, often to victims’ accounts for families to see. Israel retaliated with a war called “Swords of Iron.” As of November 10, 2023, over 1,200 Israelis, the vast majority of them civilians, were murdered during the attacks. Hamas kidnapped 242 Israelis, including at least 30 children. At least 3,500 people were wounded, many severely.
For more information on the October 7, 2023 terror attacks, see the Canary Mission page about Hamas.
On June 24, 2020, Friedman tweeted that Israel was one of multiple countries that is “implicated in an Islamophobia that is global. We need to be principled in rejecting its diverse manifestations.”
Also on June 24, 2020, Friedman tweeted that he attended a Birthright trip in 2007.
Birthright Israel is a heritage trip to Israel for Jewish young adults from across the world.
On June 23, 2020, Friedman tweeted that the Birthright program was “the worst ten days of my life that almost made me renounce my Jewish identity.”
On March 28, 2020, Friedman tweeted in response to a tweet about the status of Taiwan: “Of the places you listed, only Palestine is a country. And despite decades of Israeli occupation, the @WHO acknowledges Palestine's existence. Other regions might want independence, maybe they SHOULD be independent, but they are not.”
On September 11, 2019, Friedman tweeted: “Sorry to say we now need global comparative studies of 21st century concentration camps: China, India, Myanmar, Israel, US…”
Also on June 24, 2020, Friedman tweeted that he attended a Birthright trip in 2007.
Birthright Israel is a heritage trip to Israel for Jewish young adults from across the world.
On June 23, 2020, Friedman tweeted that the Birthright program was “the worst ten days of my life that almost made me renounce my Jewish identity.”
On March 28, 2020, Friedman tweeted in response to a tweet about the status of Taiwan: “Of the places you listed, only Palestine is a country. And despite decades of Israeli occupation, the @WHO acknowledges Palestine's existence. Other regions might want independence, maybe they SHOULD be independent, but they are not.”
On September 11, 2019, Friedman tweeted: “Sorry to say we now need global comparative studies of 21st century concentration camps: China, India, Myanmar, Israel, US…”
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) highlights as one possible contemporary example of anti-Semitism: “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.” The U.S. State Department adopted the IHRA’s working definition of anti-Semitism in 2016. Over 40 countries have adopted the definition as well.
On June 12, 2016, Friedman tweeted: “Israel takes a xenophobic page out of China's playbook.” Friedman’s tweet included a link to an article condemning Israel for requiring anti-Israel organizations to make their funding public.
Ilhan Omar was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2018.
Defending Ilhan Omar
On March 5, 2019, Friedman tweeted: “I don't usually tweet about Israel, China gives me enough stress. But this is some McCarthyite nonsense in the Democratic party, countering imaginary anti-semitism with real islamophobia not a good look.”Ilhan Omar was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2018.
On February 27, 2019, Ilhan Omar suggested that Israel supporters were disloyal to America. She said: “I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country.” After the incident, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee described Omar’s comments as a “vile anti-Semitic slur” and “unacceptable and deeply offensive.”
Friedman’s tweet also linked to an article reporting about the recent controversy that surfaced around Omar after multiple incidents of remarks seen as anti-Semitic.
In February 2019, top Congressional leaders denounced Omar for tweeting anti-Semitic remarks. She has also demonized Israel and endorsed BDS, including introducing a pro-BDS resolution in the U.S. Congress.
In July 2019, Omar introduced H.Res. 496, referred to as a “pro-BDS” resolution, which Omar described as “an opportunity for us to explain why it is we support...the BDS movement.”
In February 2019, top Congressional leaders denounced Omar for tweeting anti-Semitic remarks. She has also demonized Israel and endorsed BDS, including introducing a pro-BDS resolution in the U.S. Congress.
In July 2019, Omar introduced H.Res. 496, referred to as a “pro-BDS” resolution, which Omar described as “an opportunity for us to explain why it is we support...the BDS movement.”
Social Media and Weblinks
University Website: https://sociology.cornell.edu/eli-friedmanTwitter:https://twitter.com/EliDFriedman
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- Last Modified:
- 05/04/2026
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