Brian Friedman, President, Co-Founder and Portfolio Manager of IIA, reports from Israel

My wife and I landed in Israel at 1 am Friday June 13th, 2025 to attend the Israel Economic Forum in Jerusalem. We arrived at the hotel at 2 am, one hour before our first alert announcing Israeli military operations to degrade the Iranian threat. Although gatherings were canceled, our conference was able to proceed due to its location next to the U.S. embassy and its conference facilities two levels below ground level.

We listened to real time assessments of the ongoing situation and surprising optimism about a brighter future for the Middle East following Israel’s bold actions. Speakers included President Isaac Herzog, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren, Tal Becker who defended Israel at the International Court of Justice, Israeli venture capitalist Michael Eisenberg, noted author Yossi Klein HaLevy, and many more.

Although under fire, my wife and I are taking all recommended precautions and feel as safe as possible. We have a front row seat to history and pray for a more secure and prosperous future for Israel and all who yearn for peace in this region.

From left to right: Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Michael Eisenberg, Tal Becker, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren.