World news 53K views since yesterday

Friedman's pre-election warning on El-Sayed gains a new context

The former US ambassador feared a longer-term shift in support for Israel; the Michigan Democrat has since won the Senate seat.

Channel: C14 Hebrew channel ·

IsraelStory of November 5, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of C14's most watched videos since yesterday, with 53,303 views.

C14: Israel's Channel 14, a news channel on the political right, on air since 2014 (as Channel 20 until 2021). 497K subscribers and 758M views.

שגריר ארה"ב לשעבר בישראל באזהרה חריגה: "זוהי קריאת השכמה ענקית אם אל-סייד ינצח בבחירות"

What did you think?

David Friedman was hoping Michigan's polls were wrong. In an interview published on election day, the former US ambassador to Israel warned that an Abdul El-Sayed victory would strengthen voices whose approach to Israel he opposes. El-Sayed has since defeated Republican Mike Rogers and is Michigan's senator-elect.

The clip, broadcast by Israel's Channel 14 (ערוץ 14), captures a warning before the result, not Friedman's reaction to the victory. Friedman served as ambassador during Donald Trump's first administration, from 2017 to 2021.

His central accusation is that El-Sayed "cannot distinguish between Israel and Iran." Friedman argues that, as a senator, El-Sayed would have real influence over American foreign policy and would encourage others with similar views. The excerpt contains no response from El-Sayed.

Friedman draws a distinction between immediate American support and the direction he fears over time. "America is not going to abandon Israel, certainly not during the Trump administration," he says. He does not expect an immediate abandonment afterward either, but warns that the longer-term American approach could move closer to that of Britain, France, Australia or Canada.

"So this is, this is a huge wake-up call if El-Sayed wins the election," Friedman concludes. His concern extends beyond the outcome: he says the candidate's closeness to victory should itself prompt attention.

Published on Trari

Most watched today ›