Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl spoke out forcefully following the murder of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., calling it a heartbreaking tragedy fueled by rising antisemitism and anti-Israel propaganda. The two young diplomats were gunned down after attending an event at the Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday night.
“There’s a tremendous rise in antisemitism. We’re going to overcome it,” Pearl said, according to Fox News. “This was just a young couple… getting ready to start their life. That’s all gone now because of the lies and incredibly awful propaganda.”
Pearl, one of the most outspoken Jewish voices in college athletics, condemned the growing hostility masked by slogans like “Free Palestine,” calling it a smokescreen for antisemitism. “What they mean is free Palestine of the Jews. Free Palestine of your friend coach, Bruce Pearl,” he said. “We got to take them seriously now. We got to take them at their word.”
The coach compared such rhetoric to other forms of hate speech and emphasized that, while free speech is protected, Americans must recognize when it crosses into dangerous territory. He urged people not to dismiss calls for violence under the guise of activism.
Pearl expressed skepticism that the attack would change public discourse. “In three days, it’ll be over, and we’ll be on to whatever is next,” he said, lamenting the political divide that hinders unity, even in the face of tragedy.
He pointed to the political divisions in Washington, D.C., including among Jewish lawmakers, and urged Americans to look beyond partisanship. “We’re Americans,” he said. “It’s fine that we got different ways of looking at things, but no, I don’t see this thing changing very much.”
