Auburn basketball coach pushes back against 'disturbing' anti-Israel protests: 'Breaks my heart'

One of college basketball's top coaches is doing what he can to support Israeli soldiers and civilians rattled by the ongoing war against Hamas, helping organize a charity event to pack humanitarian aid boxes full of clothes, first aid items, toiletries and candy after raising over $7,000 to prepare.

"It just breaks my heart to see students across our country protesting against Israel after they saw the genocide. I love this country, and I'm grateful for its support," Bruce Pearl told FOX News on Wednesday. 

Pearl, who coaches the Auburn Tigers, said some Jewish students on the university's campus are afraid as tensions concerning the conflict in the Middle East flare across U.S. college campuses. 

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Head coach Bruce Pearl of the Auburn Tigers is seen during the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on March 16, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Jewish himself, he has been outspoken in support of Israel and expressed concerns about antisemitism surging in the days since Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack on Israeli residential areas on Oct. 7.

Shortly after the attacks, he put his mind to making a difference.

"I contacted my friends at Athletes for Israel, the Church of the Highlands here in this community, along with our Jewish student group, Hillel. We got together and said, 'Let's do something positive. Let's get some humanitarian boxes together of aid and let's write notes to the soldiers and children and moms,'" he continued.

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A charity event that Auburn University basketball coach Bruce Pearl helped organize offered support for Israeli civilians and soldiers. (Bruce Pearl/FOX & Friends First Screengrab)

"Just days after the world's greatest genocide since the Holocaust, we felt like we just wanted to do something. Thirty-three Americans were killed by Hamas terrorists. It's just disturbing to me to watch people in this country supporting an organization that supports this kind of terror. And so this group here was proud to stand with Israel," he continued later.

While only 15 people were initially expected to show, 50 attended the event Pearl helped organize.

He told FOX News' Carley Shimkus that protests against Israel that have emerged across the U.S. recently indicate how "deep" the roots of antisemitism are, adding that "all Israel has done for 75 years since its existence is simply defend itself."

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Protesters in support of Israel and Palestine rally on college campuses.  ((Getty Images))

According to Auburn Daily on Sports Illustrated, Pearl previously took the team to play against the Israel U-20 National Team, an Israel Select All-Star Team and the Israel National Team. They also toured several historic holy sites and some players were even baptized in the Jordan River.

Pearl previously discussed the conflict with Dan Dakich on OutKick's "Don't @ Me" earlier this month, where he blasted the Obama and Biden administrations for allegedly creating "the crap that we got in this world" while claiming that Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad are "funded" by United States taxpayers.

He admitted that Presidents Obama and Biden were "well-intentioned" when they were trying to "balance the scales of power in the Middle East" but noted that it eventually led to "terrorism."

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"I don’t like to be divided, but here’s the deal, if Iran wants to call out Israel and for the destruction of Israel, and they’ve been saying it since 1979 when the Shah was removed, I take them at their word for it…" he said. 

"This is a Holocaust, this is a crime, and now what’s about to take place has nothing to do with revenge. This is not about revenge. What Israel must do now is nothing about revenge, it’s about survival."

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FOX News' Ryan Morik contributed to this report.

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