Auburn Tigers basketball coach Bruce Pearl speaks to Arutz Sheva about his support for Israel and the price he pays for it.
Arutz Sheva-Israel National News caught up with Auburn Tigers men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl during a visit to the tent of the Gvura Forum, a group of bereaved families calling for total Israeli victory in Gaza.
Pearl explains why it was important for him to visit Israel, especially now: “I’m a proud American Jew who happens to be a basketball coach in the United States. I’m a Zionist and I’m a truth-teller. It’s important for me to come here and listen to the families of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to simply protect the people here in Israel.”
He adds, “This war needs to be finished, and this madness of Israel having to defend itself from terrorists who want to kill everybody here has got to end. I’m hopeful that once that ends, we’ll have peace and prosperity for everybody.”
Coach Pearl shares that his visit to the tent “just gives me more conviction. Hearing stories from the parents of 30-year-old sons and daughters who had their entire lives in front of them and don’t regret it at all because this is what they wanted to do, they were willing to give their lives for their people. The truth needs to be told. We said never again, but somehow we lost some of that momentum at some point, and after October 7th, it’s back.”
While Bruce may pay a price for his outspoken support of Israel, he isn’t moved. “It’s nothing compared to the price of these soldiers laying down their lives. So I’m a basketball coach and I’m Jewish, and it’s not the most popular thing, and maybe I might not get some recruits because there’s some antisemitism, but that’s ok. It’s no price to pay for standing up for what’s right, for what’s good; this is what G-d commands us to do, and we are his chosen people.
