Israel Frey (Hebrew: ישראל פריי) is an Israeli-Haredi journalist. He has worked for outlets including DemocraTV and Middle East Eye. Frey has been critical of the government of Israel and the actions of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and has been arrested several times for his tweets. After posting a video of himself praying for Palestinian civilians killed by the IDF, Frey's home was attacked and he was forced to go into hiding with his wife and children. His political views have been described as on the left and far-left.
Frey began his journalism career working for Haredi outlets, including Radio Kol Chai and Kav Itonut Datit[he] newspapers. One of his tweets sparked controversy when he referred to rabbis as "scum" for supporting Israeli settlers. He was fired under pressure from right-wing activists like Itamar Ben-Gvir.[1]
Frey began working at DemocraTV[he] in 2021, an independent station which frequently criticizes Benjamin Netanyahu.[1][3] During the COVID-19 pandemic, he reported on the lack of observance of COVID prevention rules in the Haredi community.[1][4] He attributed this nonobservance to the importance of communal events in Haredi traditions and rituals.[5][6]
Frey tweeted in support of a Palestinian man who had been detained on suspicion of planning an attack in Jaffa in September 2022, praising the man for targeting soldiers instead of attacking civilians.[7][8][4] The tweet sparked a backlash, and he was fired by DemocraTV a few months later.[3] According to Frey, DemocraTV demanded that he delete the tweet. DemocraTV leadership countered that Frey was let go because of misconduct, not due to his tweets.[1][4]
In a December 2022 tweet about the killing of an Israeli soldier in East Jerusalem, Frey wrote that attacking Israeli soldiers is not terrorism.[11][8] Frey was arrested on suspicion of inciting terrorism due to his tweets and was released after questioning.[7][12] His attorney, Gaby Lasky, stated that it was a political arrest meant to scare the Israeli government's critics.[7] Frey said he would not let the Israeli government intimidate him and accused it of fascism.[7][4] His arrest was criticized by the Union of Journalists in Israel as an attack on the freedom of the press.[8][4]
Gaza war
In March 2025 Frey tweeted that a Palestinian who attacks Israeli soldiers or settlers should not be considered a terrorist but a hero fighting their oppressor. He was subsequently detained and interrogated on suspicion of inciting terrorism.[3][13][14] Upon his release, he condemned the arrest as a "witch hunt" and stated that he "distinguishes between condemnable harm to innocents and resistance to security forces."[13]
Five IDF soldiers, mostly from the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, were killed by IEDs in Beit Hanoun in July 2025. In response, Frey tweeted: "The world is a better place this morning, without five young men who partook in one of the most brutal crimes against humanity. Unfortunately, for the boy in Gaza now being operated on without anesthesia, the girl starving to death and the family huddling in a tent under bombardment — this is not enough."[15] The tweet was criticized by many Israelis, including some peace activists.[16] He was arrested the following day and charged with incitement to terrorism.[17][18] While in prison, Frey was classified as a security prisoner, a designation typically given to Palestinian prisoners.[19][20][21] After his conditional release to house arrest, he pledged to continue criticizing the Gaza War.[19]
Attack on his home
Frey posted a video of himself praying the Kaddish for both the Israelis killed in the October 7 attacks and the Palestinian civilians killed by the IDF in the Gaza war.[22][3][23] He received threatening messages as a result[24][25] and he was doxxed with his address details being shared online.[22][26][27] A crowd of right-wing protesters attacked his home in Bnei Brak on the evening of October 14, 2023 with flares and fireworks and attempted to break in.[3][25][26][28] A neighbor convinced the crowd to allow Frey's wife and two children to leave.[27] Frey was evacuated a few hours later with the assistance of the police who, according to him, spit on him and accused him of supporting Hamas.[25][29][26] The police escorted him to his car, and he drove away. Upon realizing that he was being followed by some of the protesters, he drove to Ichilov Hospital. He was eventually able to escape with the help of a friend and hospital security.[25][29][27]
The police briefly detained one protester outside his home for refusing to leave. They later made a statement denying Frey's claims of misconduct.[25] Israeli MK Ofer Cassif accused the police of delaying their response to the incident because they did not want to protect a leftist journalist.[30] The incident has been cited as an example of backlash against support for peace and Palestinian rights,[31][32][33] journalism,[34][35][36] and free speech[37][38][39] in Israel during the Gaza war.
Views
Frey advocates for equality for everyone who lives in Israel and Palestine.[11][8][2] He has been critical of the Israeli government[7][11] and has advocated for Israelis to refuse to serve in the IDF.[3] Frey asserts that Palestinian attacks on Israeli soldiers are not terrorism,[3][11][40] stating that "it’s legitimate for oppressed people to strike at their oppressors".[1][2]
Frey has stated that the Gaza war was caused by Israel's "comprehensive plan to crush" Palestinians.[27] He has stated that the full political spectrum of Israeli society, from right to left, is "mobilized" to view Palestinians as ISIS, Nazis, and sub-human.[41]
↑ Scheindlin, Dahlia (2023-11-12). "Israel: The Left in Peril". The New York Review of Books. Archived from the original on 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
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