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Auburn Tigers men’s basketball head coach Bruce Pearl has been as outspoken in his support of Israel since the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks conducted by Hamas.
Pearl, who is the chair of the U.S. Israel Education Association, acknowledged in a recent interview that he gets told a lot on social media to stick to basketball and keep quiet when it comes to his views on Israel.
However, he explained on the “Being Jewish Podcast” why he speaks out.
“Here’s the deal. One of the reasons why I do it, it’s really simple. What is your Middle Eastern studies course teaching you in high school? Oh, you don’t have one? Oh, so then let’s go on social media and let’s read the lies and the propaganda,” Pearl explained.
“In the back of their minds it’s, ‘Maybe they are right. Maybe the Jews did steal the land. Maybe they did run them out of their home. I don’t know.’ Well, that’s because you’ve never been taught. So you’re listening to the loudest voices, [which is] a very, very loud minority.”
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Pearl led Auburn to a 32-6 record. The Tigers’ Final Four appearance was the team’s first since 2019. Pearl has led Auburn to its only two Final Fours.
But his support for Israel as a Jewish basketball coach is just as strong as his love for the game.
The U.S. Israel Education Association named Pearl its chair in April.
“I’ve dedicated much of my life to teaching young people about the importance of leadership, values, and understanding different perspectives,” Pearl said in a news release at the time.
“My work with USIEA aligns with those principles, and I’m excited to continue building a bridge of understanding between these two great nations.”
Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
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