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‘Blue Square’ message to combat antisemitism drives lane to Jerusalem arena

Aviv sports company outfits the nets on Hapoel Jerusalem’s home turf with the #StandUpToJewishHate campaign symbol.

Aviv sports company participates in the #StandUpToJewishHate campaign by hanging the blue square symbol on basketball nets in the Pais Arena in Jerusalem, April 2023. Credit: Courtesy.
Aviv sports company participates in the #StandUpToJewishHate campaign by hanging the blue square symbol on basketball nets in the Pais Arena in Jerusalem, April 2023. Credit: Courtesy.

Aviv sports recently participated in the #StandUpToJewishHate campaign, created by the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft founded in 2019.

The $25 million initiative to battle Jew-hatred was launched in late March and uses a blue square as its main feature.

With the support of Hapoel Jerusalem, Aviv founders David Warschawski and Tamir Goodman hung nets containing the blue square in Pais Arena in Jerusalem.

“Aviv extends a big thank you to the Kraft family for spearheading this important campaign and to Hapoel Jerusalem for being the first professional basketball league to share the powerful message on their nets,” the company said in a statement.

Blue Square Emoji
#StandUpToJewishHate. Source: Screenshot.

The #StandUpToJewishHate campaign “is designed to raise awareness for the fight against antisemitism, specifically among non-Jewish audiences, and to help all Americans understand that there is a role for each of us to play in combating a problem that is unfortunately all too prevalent in communities across the country today,” said Kraft.

The blue square is sized at 2.4% of the screen or other surfaces to symbolize Jews making up 2.4% of the United States population yet being victims of 55% of religiously motivated hate crimes.

The measure, which aims to correct a “deliberate attempt to erase the Jewish identity of Judea and Samaria,” passed both houses comfortably.
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