Cornellians for Israel, a pro-Israel organization, is set to host former Israeli Defense Force soldier Sam Fried on Feb. 2 at 5 p.m. as a guest speaker.
CFI described the event on Instagram as a space where Fried will share “firsthand experiences from his service” alongside his “ongoing efforts to foster peace, confront rising antisemitism, and reshape narratives surrounding Israel and the IDF.”
Fried served in the IDF as a paratrooper from 2020 to 2022, and rejoined after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks as a Squadron Commander and Sharpshooter until February 2024, according to CFI’s Instagram post. Fried served as a lone soldier, the term for an IDF soldier without family in Israel, typically international volunteers, orphans or people from estranged families.
Fried wrote in a statement to The Sun that he aims to promote “peace for both sides because coexistence, grounded in truth and mutual respect, is the only way to ensure that future generations do not inherit the conflicts of today.”
He describes his work as an “ideological battlefield,” where he “challeng[es] false narratives about Israel and the IDF, educating people and engaging audiences beyond echo chambers to achieve productive conversations rooted in understanding” in an email statement to The Sun.
Fried spreads his message primarily through Instagram and in-person events. He pushes back against claims that Israel is committing a genocide, saying “this war started on Oct. 7, [2023] when Hamas decided to murder innocent people.”
In September 2025, the United Nations Human Rights Council released a report published by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory that concluded that Israel is committing “genocide against Palestinians.” The report cites “killing and seriously harming unprecedented numbers of Palestinians; imposing a total siege, including blocking humanitarian aid leading to starvation.”
Adriana Vink ’27, co-president of Students for Justice in Palestine at Cornell, says her organization finds the idea of Fried being on campus to promote peace as “laughable,” claiming the goal of CFI’s event is to “convince people not to care, and convince people that Israel is not guilty of war crimes, ethnic cleansing, genocide and apartheid when they clearly are.”
This event differs from Fried’s typical style of presentation of open debate, as attendance requires an RSVP through a Google form. In a statement to The Sun, CFI explained that this event was planned in coordination with Cornell Police Department to “ensure that all students feel safe attending the event and [Fried] is able to speak in accordance [with] the university’s guidelines regarding freedom of expression.” When asked if the RSVP was open to anyone who filled out the form, CFI declined to comment.
Zoe Reisman ’29, Cornell Young Democratic Socialists of America chairperson, takes issue with Cornell’s approach to freedom of speech.
“If Cornell… is actually committed to pluralism it needs to refuse to legitimize military propaganda amid documented repression of Palestinian students and political expression on campus,” Reisman said in an interview with The Sun.
CFI highlighted the importance of having Fried present, writing to The Sun that “it is vital to present this perspective in response to the prevalence of misinformation surrounding Israel and the IDF in today’s media. We look forward to hearing Sam Fried’s firsthand account and gaining insight into his work promoting peace and combating rising antisemitism.”
Cornell faced antisemitism investigations in November 2023 from the U.S. Department of Education which cited antisemitic environments and statements made by professors. However, the investigation closed in December 2025 and Cornell was not found in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Cornell’s “Fighting Antisemitism and Protecting Civil Rights” page on the Office of the President website explains disciplinary action was taken against numerous pro-Palestine demonstrators and students who were deemed to have “infringe[d] [on] the rights of others.”
Fried “[looks] forward to coming to campus and discussing the prospect of a more peaceful future absent of violence and war with all those who are interested,” according to the email statement.
Everett Chambala is a member of the Class of 2027 in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is a staff writer for the News department and can be reached at echambala@cornellsun.com.
