New Haven, CT – New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman was met with open hostility as he addressed students at Yale last week. The Pulitzer Prize winning author delivered a talk entitled ‘how America fell behind’ where he discussed his new book on foreign policy, co-authored by Michael Mandelbaum.
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During the talk, Rabbi Shmully Hecht of the Yale Eliezer society produced a large banner reading, “With friends like Chomsky, Soros, Mearsheimer and Thomas Friedman, does Israel need enemies?” Mr. Friedman responded curtly saying “that’s Stupid.” Shortly afterward the banner was reversed to display a second message to Mr. Friedman,”Jews don’t need solutions from your 11,000 square foot Ivory tower.”
Asked what promoted his protest, Rabbi Hecht told the Algemeiner that he has been angered by Friedman’s positions on Israel, saying, “The road to peace may look straight from Thomas Friedman’s very privileged worldview in his mansion on his huge estate, but for Israelis everywhere, especially Judea and Samaria, every decision is one that literally tilts the State and her citizens towards either life or death. In the real world, Jews don’t need ‘solutions,’ Jews need safety and security in their historic homeland and reborn refuge.”
Michael Knowles, a history student at Yale who attended the lecture said that the atmosphere in the room was “intense,” “the cameras in the room turned towards Rabbi Hecht and the sign. Many fans of Thomas Friedman were in the audience, and they applauded when Mr. Friedman dismissed the sign,” he said.
“The way that he dismissed Rabbi Hecht was surprising, I would be interested to see him respond to the issues” he concluded.
At the time of publication, Mr. Friedman could not be reached for comment.
Friedman is an ultra liberal case and hates Israel. Hecht did not shout him down and only after letting him speak did he show the sign. Not like the liberals and people supporting the Arabs of Israel who shout down the speaker before they talk
Rabbi Hecht’s sign and comments are unnecessarily confrontational and rude. Thomas Friedman is not an enemy of the State of Israel. The comment about the type and size of home he owns is almost unconscionable. I also disagree with many of Thomas Friedman’s opinions, but the rabbis sets a poor example by not engaging in debate in a civil manner.
I also happen to agree that Mr. Friedman, an experienced writer and public speaker to say the least, slipped up by responding, “That’s stupid”. Also rude. Nevertheless, at least his extemporaneous insult was a response to the rabbi’s long-planned insult, which happens to be an exception to the rule of o’naas devarim (harmful words). At least, also, Mr. Friedman was, on the merits, correct.
Thomas Friedman proved he is a complete tool on the subject of Israel and the Middle East when he allowed himself to be manipulated by the Saudis to roll out their “Arab Peace Initiative” which not only requires Israel’s entire retreat and withdrawal of 500,000 Jews, but also includes the “Right of Return” for Palestinians to swarm into what remains of Israel, all in exchange for some easily rescinded intangible of “normalization.”
I stopped buying the NYTimes. I only gett the WSJ/NYPost/VIN. Is there anythings else?
It’s inappropriate and Friedman is not anti-Israel in the way the others on the sign are. You may disagree with his proposals but he is not anti-Israel. Also, Friedman is a widely published Nobel Prize winner, why would he accept a debate invitation from Rabbi Hecht?
Friedman does not hate Israel.
Not everyone that disagrees with some of Israels policies hates Israel just like you disagreeing with American policy doesnt make you a hater of America.
I think he’s very balanced and I’m sure that if you ask a Palestinian they’ll tell you that he hates Arabs
Brilliant! It hurt thomas that his small minded world view was actually challenged. Keep up the good work Rabbi- with all these ignorant Jews is it any wonder we have enemies?
(St.) Thomas Friedman, what a nice Jewish first name…”mihursayich umacharivayich mimeich yetzeyu”…from a religious perspective, I am no fan of Zionism, but Israel is clearly dealt with uniquely and unreasonable harshly by the world and the main-stream media, including by the Jewish Friedman and the formerly-Jewish NYT.
Friedman’s 1989 book “From Beirut to Jerusalem”, has been described as fair and balanced, both sides. In the book, Friedman describes an unpleasant incident with anIsraeli taxi driver, who allegedly tried to cheat him, regarding the fare. Friedman told the driver that he was only going to pay x amount of dollars for the trip, which what it should have been to begin with. When Friedman got out of the cab, the driver started cursing and threatening him. Friedman responded, “I’ve just come from war torn Beirut, and YOU are threatening me”.
Tom davens at our shul and I can assure you he is a strong supporter of EY although he frequently disagrees with the right-wing governing coaltion on strategic issues related to the peace process. He has never said anything that would compromise the security of EY so Rabbi Hecht’s comments are totally inappropriate and reflect a lack of political tolerance and derech eretz. As to the Friedman residence, it is far from an “estate” and is a real asset to his Bethesda neighborhood where Tom and his wife often open their home to many charitable jewish causes. Overall, Rabbi Hecht is the one who needs to get himself under control and learn to disagree on a civil basis. He embarrases himself and his casue by this boorish behavior that reminds me of the type of demonstration that Israeli diplomats like Mike Oren have to endure from Palestinian students on college campuses.
Perhaps Friedman could have used another and more polite term for “stupid” (e.g. uneducated, silly, not-well thought out, etc.) but Hecht’s comments were stupid and do not reflect well on himself or those he purports to represent. I especially despise his reference to the size of Friedman’s home (the Obama class warfare stuff from someone who claims to be a rabbi). There is no way such an eminent public figure should debate someone of Hecht’s lower intellectual stature after this performance.
Was it not Mr. Friedman who described the State of Israel as “Yad Vashem with an air force?” I think that Mr. Friedman’s lecture was an opportunity to exchange views in the public forum. Dismissing those who disagree with his position as “rude” is egotistical and wrong-headed.
Friedman doesn’t hate jews and Israel he is just a self hating jew
How sad that disagreeing with Israel’s policies makes one either an enemy of Israel, anti-Semitic, or a self-hating Jew. One can disagree without being disagreeable. The rabbi’s comments on the square footage of Friedman’s home is a non-sequitor. What does the size of a person’s home have to do with his opinions?
You know what? I have no problems with the people’s message in their poster…
But I always think it’s terribly rude to interrupt a person’s speech.
Period!
People do it on BOTH sides of the aisle, and I find it very indignified & extremely rude! We are ADULTS! We are NOT supposed to be acting out like children & interrupting people’s speaking engagements!
A few weeks ago, somebody interrupted the President’s speech & called him “The Antichrist!”
And just a couple of days ago, somebody interrupted Elizabeth Warren at a public speaking engagement & called her a “Socialist ****” (I can’t even say the WORD here on VIN), and only came to the speech so that he COULD interrupt her like that & try to humiliate her, by calling her a VERY rude word. (Something you should never call a woman!)
When will this type of behavior END?!
For people defending this craziness…
You’d be singing a different tune, if the interrupter was somebody who was rude to a politician that you LIKED. Then all of the sudden, you’d CARE that somebody was so rude. *shaking my head*
MANNERS PEOPLE!
Even my 8 year old kid knows better than to act like these kinds of people!
Good grief!
Is it just me, or does this Hecht character look like some kind of dopey Occupy Wall Street protester. Since when did supposed “rabbi’s” decide it was their duty to hold up protest signs in the back of a lecture? Seems to me this clown should spend a little less time trying to live vicariously through the Yalies and a little more time having a positive influence on them.
someone should measure square footage of hecht’s house and friedman’s we all might get a little surprise.
why is this news worthy?, he called hecht’s sign stupid, compared to all the other hateful stupid comments that tommy has said regarding Israel, why is this even news worthy?????????
#11 Tom “davens” at your “shul”? Since when is a temple a “shul”? Tom Friedman is a classic erev rav. He has been attacking Israel for decades. He had the Chutzpah to call the Israeli political leadership “in-bred” as if they were kissing cousins from the Ozarks.
There is no greater enemy of Israel than the New York Times and Friedman. Hecht was too mild in his protest.
#11 a temple is not a shul. it is also forbidden to enter one . halacha : rather enter a church than temple
#24 he has a right to protest just like those moslem do any israeli speaker. except his is peacful non disraptive
Uncle Tom Friedman is a disgrace – and Hecht is a bigger one. And yes, I am very familiar with Friedman’s views on EY and his service as a handmaiden of the self-hating leftists of Jewish descent who run the Times.
All Hecht had to do was to bring a dozen or so students who oppose Friedman’s views to argue with him. Instead, he made an utter fool of himself.
#30 he did not make no fool of himself.. just because you say so?
and mr groise tzuleiger what did you do to counter this ugly soiney yisroel friedman? (his name should be moha–mud something or other
#33 ‘al tane kesil keuvalto’