Bruce Pearl gives passionate explanation for Jewish, Israeli advocacy after Isaac Herzog phone call

After Auburn defeated Creighton in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl opened the postgame press conference by calling on Hamas to release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander. Alexander was taken hostage during Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Pearl is Jewish and has vehemently defended Israel during its recent conflict with Hamas. In turn, Israeli President Isaac Herzog called Pearl ahead of Auburn’s Sweet Sixteen showdown against Michigan to thank him for bringing awareness to the issue.

“You’ve raised the plight for our hostages in the most important arena in the United States public, there, coach, and especially on behalf of Edan Alexander, so bless you for that,” Herzog said. “This is the most important topic of humanity in my mind because it shows how you deal with cruelty and how you get innocent people out from the dungeons of Gaza.”

Auburn went on to win the game and hasn’t stopped there. On Sunday, Bruce Pearl and Co. defeated Michigan State 70-64 to advance to the program’s first Final Four since 2019. During an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show on Monday, Pearl reflected on his discussion with Herzog and his general advocacy for Israel.

“Some people think that I tweet or get involved in saying certain things for political reasons, and it has nothing to do with politics. It has everything to do with the survival of the Jewish people,” Pearl said. “Our ancestral homeland is Israel, and it has been under attack since its birth in 1948.

“… There’s been a rise in antisemitism all across the world. I don’t understand it, but it definitely exists, and there’s been a bit of a rise in this country. However, the vast majority of Americans, particularly our Christian friends, support Israel and understand the foundation of their faith comes from the Jewish people. It started right there in Israel, right there in Bethlehem for Jesus. And we are connected, and most people in this country understand what’s going on over there.

“October 7 was a holocaust of the Jews, and the curtain got pulled back, Paul. The world got a chance to look in and say, ‘Look, these people do not want to live next door to us, they want to they want to kick us out. And fortunately the United States has been a great ally and a great friend. And I just pray that we could get the hostages back, and then the war and the violence will stop and then peace and prosperity hopefully can take over.”

On Saturday, Auburn will square off against Florida at 6:09 p.m. ET in the Final Four. The game will air live on CBS.

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