Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke via video call with Auburn University Tigers basketball coach Bruce Pearl on Thursday, thanking him for his outspoken support for Israel and the hostages held in Gaza.
Pearl, whose team advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, the final 16 in the annual U.S. collegiate basketball tournament, has used his platform to highlight the plight of hostages, particularly Edan Alexander, an American-Israeli captive. Following the Alabama school’s latest win, Pearl began his press conference by urging Hamas to release the 59 remaining hostages.
Herzog praised Pearl’s advocacy, calling it an act of “moral clarity” and stressing the urgency of bringing the hostages home. “You have raised the plight of our hostages in the most important arena of the United States public. This is the most important issue for humanity to my mind, because it shows how we are dealing with cruelty and the urgent need to bring innocent people home.”
Pearl reaffirmed his strong support for Israel, emphasizing that “the vast majority of Americans support Israel” and now have a deeper understanding of the challenges the country has faced since its founding. He also shared that Adi Alexander, Edan’s father, was due to attend Auburn’s upcoming game as a guest of Athletes for Israel, helping to further spotlight the hostage crisis.
According to IDF data, at least 35 of the captives are dead, including four U.S. citizens—civilians Judi Weinstein Haggai and her husband, Gadi Haggai, and IDF soldiers Itay Chen and Omer Maxim Neutra.
