New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft wants Americans to stand together and oppose the anti-Israel hate that has swamped college campuses in recent weeks.
Kraft appeared on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity” Wednesday night ahead of his release of full-page ads in several national newspapers later this week.
“I think our universities were one of our competitive advantages as a country, and I think what’s going on now throughout America is scaring a lot of people,” Kraft said.
“They want to know we’re going to win this battle. And I just ask, ‘Are you good listeners who care about this country to speak up now?’ Universities used to be where you had critical debate and different points of view. We didn’t teach hate and intimidation.”
Kraft attended Columbia University, an institution which has been particularly impacted by the anti-Israel hate fests masquerading as protests.
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NYPD / BODY CAMS+ /TMXHe will take out ads in newspapers on behalf of his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism.
His foundation released a Super Bowl ad this year to raise awareness about antisemitism and other causes, as Fox News notes.
“The reason I took these ads out (is) I want people to know that good people — and they’ve come to our foundation — they really care, and they have to speak up and not be silent – the way Martin Luther King spoke about it with (Clarence B. Jones),” he explained, before going on to outline just what a university education did for him and his long-term career prospects.
“I’m the biggest beneficiary of what America has to offer. I got a full academic scholarship to Columbia. I dreamt big dreams. I went through tough times, but it’s the greatest country in the world. And I’m privileged, among other things, to own an NFL franchise in my hometown. I didn’t have a car until I was 25.
“I want to keep those values alive for everyone that comes to this country.”
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Jessica Schwalb via StoryfulKraft called for “empathy,” not hatred and his plea follows the launch in January of a “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” ad during the Super Bowl, as Breitbart News reported.
Produced by Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, the 30-second ad addressed the wave of antisemitic sentiment that followed Israel’s response to the horrific October 7 Hamas terrorist attack against the Jewish state.
The billionaire also announced last month he is cutting Columbia University off and will no longer be donating to the school because of the antisemitism and hate school officials have allowed to flourish on campus.
