March Madness: Bruce Pearl about why he talked about Edan Alexander

Bruce Pearl said Monday that he was thanking God for the blessing that he and the male basketball team of the Auburn Tigers received when he thought about the idea of ​​speaking Edan Alexander -A Israelí-American retained as a hostage of Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

Pearl went viral on Saturday night when he spoke during the press conference after the game after a victory against Creighton to advance to Dulce 16 of the NCAA male basketball tournament.

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He explained why he decided to speak during an appearance in “Fox & Friends.”

“I was going to the press conference and talk only about the game, but I was walking down the hall with my players and came to me.” The SAId. “I was thanking God for the blessings we have had. And somehow, he spoke to me. He said: ‘Remember where you come from. Take this opportunity.’

“Then, I asked the boys, ‘Boys, if it is fine if I mention the name of Edan Alexander. The only American who believes he is still alive, he has as hostage,’ they said: ‘Trainer, there is a hostage American.

Pearl explained that he believed that the Jewish people in the United States are the silent majority, and their hearts are broken to see protests in favor of Hamas.

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“Break the hearts of the Israelis when they see the protests in our country and people who support Hamas and support this terrorism,” he said. “We are so close to La Paz in the Middle East with some wonderful Arab nations that want to support Abraham’s agreements. But there is a segment of the population that, since the existence of Israel, has wanted the Jews to be dead from the Mediterranean Sea in the Jordan River and calling an intifada. Well, well, it is just a call to violence and death to the Jews. And we are a majority in this country.

“And so, I feel that much of our success in Auburn has been because we pray first. We thank God for, you know, for the blessings. And, and I am grateful to be a citizen country and be Jews. We have to call the difference between this good and this evil.”

Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli-American soldier, is one of the 59 hostages that are still in Gaza. It is believed that more than half of the hostages that have Hamas terrorists are dead.

Hamas said he would free Alexander and the bodies of four hostages that remained there from his terrorist attack on October 7, 2023 if Israel meets in a high fire agreement.

“They ask me a lot how this basketball program has become so competitive in the last eight years,” Pearl said on Saturday. “But for me, I think it was God’s plan to give us this success, a success beyond what we deserve. Give us this platform. To give us the opportunity to start this conference briefly and remind the world Edan Alexander is still in hostage in Gaza at this time. An American held hostage and not enough people in this country know his name.”

Pearl was asked why he felt the need to speak out About the hostages.

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“On October 7 it was the worst day from the Holocaust for the Jewish people, and they say they want to do it again and again. We have US hostages in Gaza at this time, and it is unacceptable,” Pearl said. “And President Trump described him and said that if they simply release the hostages, the murder would stop. He would free the hostages, and the murder will stop, and that depends on Hamas.”

Associated Press contributed to this report.

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