Israel Frey

Israel Frey is an Israeli-Haredi journalist. 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. In the beginning of the Gaza war, Frey posted a video of himself praying for Israelis killed in the October 7 attacks and Palestinian civilians killed by the IDF; as a result, his home was attacked by a group of right-wing protesters, and he went into hiding with his wife and children. His political views have been described as left-wing. He has worked for outlets including and Middle East Eye.

Early life and family Born in 1987, Frey grew up in Tel Aviv, Israel, in the Ger Hasidic community, an ultra-orthodox sect of Judaism. He has two siblings. His grandfather, Yehuda Meir Abramowicz, was a rabbi and a member of the Knesset (MK) for the Agudat Yisrael party. He refused to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a conscientious objector. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he reported on the lack of observance of COVID prevention rules in the Haredi community. He attributed this nonobservance to the importance of communal events in Haredi traditions and rituals. His work has also appeared in Middle East Eye

Arrest in 2022 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. He received threatening messages as a result and he was doxxed with his home address shared online. 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. A neighbor convinced the crowd to allow Frey's wife and two children to leave. The incident has been cited as an example of backlash against support for peace and Palestinian rights, journalism, and free speech in Israel during the Gaza war.

Arrests during the 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. 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." The tweet was criticized by many Israelis, including some peace activists. He was arrested the following day and charged with incitement to terrorism. While in prison, Frey was classified as a security prisoner, a designation typically given to Palestinian prisoners. After his conditional release to house arrest, he pledged to continue criticizing the Gaza war.

Book In 2026, Frey published Enemy of the People, a memoir. He described the book as "the story of a person who refused to obey social orders, who lost almost everything to maintain the freedom to be himself, and who continues to believe that this land can be made a more just and egalitarian place for all its inhabitants, not just the Jewish ones." A release event was scheduled to be held in a cultural center run by the city of Tel Aviv. In response, Culture Minister Miki Zohar halted government funding for literary events, saying that he would not allow: "An event that echoes support for terror and harm to Israel Defense Forces soldiers".

Views Frey advocates for equality for everyone who lives in Israel and Palestine. stating that "it’s legitimate for oppressed people to strike at their oppressors". Frey's views are described as left wing by Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post, and The New Yorker.