Former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who served during the first Trump administration, has revealed a disturbing development out of Texas. Friedman says a planned major conference, with more than 1,000 attendees expected, has now been canceled due to overwhelming threats of jihadist violence. This comes against the backdrop of a string of recent violent attacks by pro-Hamas radicals inside the United States -- from an arson attack at the Pennsylvania Governor's mansion in April, to the murder of two Israeli embassy workers at a Jewish museum in Washington, DC, to the firebombing of peaceful demonstrators in Colorado on Sunday.
And now, we learn this:
This is America in 2025. A pro-Israel conference scheduled for Dallas this week (where I was scheduled to speak), which sold over 1000 tickets, was forced to cancel because of threats from violent Jihadists. Law enforcement was completely cooperative but the threats were of a… pic.twitter.com/O34cqyTqn8
— David M Friedman (@DavidM_Friedman) June 5, 2025
One of the largest pro-Israel events planned for 2025 has been indefinitely postponed, after escalating terror threats left organizers without a secure venue just days before it was set to begin. The Israel Summit — expected to draw more than 1,000 attendees from across the U.S. and via livestream has become the latest casualty of rising hostility toward public support for Israel in the United States. This year’s speaker lineup included Israeli Knesset members, former U.S. Ambassador David Friedman, former members of Congress, prominent media figures, rabbis, IDF veterans, and survivors of the October 7th Hamas massacre. Organizers had already been forced to relocate the Summit once, after the original venue in Dallas became unfeasible due to increased threat levels and an overwhelming security burden, with estimated costs in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. When it became clear that adequate protection could not be ensured, the decision was made to withdraw.
A second venue, secured just outside Dallas in cooperation with county officiala, initially agreed to implement the necessary security protocols. However, just four days before the event, that venue also pulled out — citing mounting external pressure and escalating safety concerns. Organizers say threats came from American-based, pro-Hamas jihadist groups that directly and indirectly called to “attack” the Summit and the private facility where it was to be held. Despite full cooperation and assistance from Texas law enforcement agencies, including the sheriff’s department, Texas state Rangers, and even the FBI, the decision was made to indefinitely postpone the event. "This was not a decision made lightly," organizers said. With over 1,000 tickets sold and a high-profile lineup of speakers, the Summit was meant to be a bold and timely declaration of support for Israel. But while the desire to stand with Israel was overwhelming, so were the threats. Every possible option was explored — yet no safe path forward remained, a reality the organizers say they never imagined would happen in the United States.
This is unacceptable. I'm struggling to understand how the "full cooperation" of Texas and federal law enforcement wasn't sufficient to protect a gathering like this. Perhaps the scope of the burden just became too cost prohibitive for the hosts. Whatever the reasons, it's intolerable that a peaceful gathering of Americans could be forced into cancellation because of terrorist threats. It's relatively easy to say this, because I'm not personally responsible for the safety of 1,000 people, but it feels like this should have gone forward anyway. Have heavily-armed security all over the place, then carry on. Don't let Hamas supporters and jihadists impose a successful, violence-tinged heckler's veto upon a free gathering of free people in a free country. They must not have that power.
The fact that organizers concluded that they couldn't afford to adequately protect participants clearly speaks to the frightening nature of the threats. Islamists and their allies have demonstrated their willingness to engage in violence to attack and punish people they hate -- especially American Jews. A very dark reality. Relatedly, in case you missed it, a Biden-appointed federal judge has held up the deportation of the Colorado assailant's family, who are reportedly illegally present in the US:
BREAKING: Colorado federal judge Gordon Gallagher, a Biden appointee, has issued an order blocking the Trump administration from deporting the wife and five children of Boulder terror suspect Mohamed Soliman. pic.twitter.com/Lo8R1Yp19E
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) June 4, 2025
Astoundingly, in addition to USA Today publishing a puff piece about the medical school dreams of the accused terrorist's daughter being dashed by deportation, others on the Left are starting to rally around the anti-Semitic firebomber's family. They're choosing to resist the Trump administration on this -- the latest in a series of breathtakingly stupid and morally bereft political decisions. I can scarcely believe they're actially doing this:
Maybe I’m naive, but I didn’t think the Jew-firebombing terrorist’s illegal immigrant family members would become a cause celebre at all, let alone so soon after the Jew firebombing. https://t.co/jkypstlyjs
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) June 5, 2025
The leftist Attorney General of Colorado is on national television suggesting the terrorist's family may have an asylum claim? They didn't come here seeking asylum, per reports; they are unlawful visa overstays. They don't have a right to be here, especially after what their immediate family member just did. A few more points on this, since we are evidently having this debate:
She’s not being punished for her father’s crimes, though. She’s been charged with nothing that he did last weekend. She’s being deported because she, in her own capacity, is an illegal immigrant. https://t.co/vwGQmhVxh6
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) June 5, 2025
Like, it’s a bare minimum message to make the statement, ‘if you’re here illegally and you do a terrorism, your illegal immigrant family members may have some of their dreams disrupted.’
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) June 5, 2025
This is moot here because they're all illegal immigrants. But suppose they weren't? If they had green cards, that'd be one thing. But tourist visas? Echoing 8 U.S.C. § 1182 into the deportation rules for those would be absolutely fine with me. (2/2)
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) June 5, 2025
Our friend and colleague Katie Pavlich discussed all of these issues with me on the radio here:
I'll leave you with this, which seems like a much more worthwhile read than sob stories about the faux victimhood of a terrorist's family:
“I Saw My Friends Set on Fire in Boulder” https://t.co/7p4RpjdJSK
— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) June 5, 2025
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