Auburn basketball's Bruce Pearl says he 'stands with Israel,' but keeps focus on team
MOUNTAIN BROOK — Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl nearly got through his time at the podium at SEC Media Days on Wednesday without fielding a question about politics.
But the final question he received noted his previous criticisms of the "current administration in the White House," and inquired if he had any political aspirations in the future.
Pearl, who has long been open about his Jewish faith, has been active recently on X, formerly known as Twitter, discussing the war between Israel and Hamas and the developments surrounding it.
"You guys know that I stand with Israel," Pearl said. "But I'm very pleased today to talk about Auburn basketball. And I really am grateful for all the questions about Auburn basketball today. We could talk about other stuff another time, but I want to put all the attention on our kids, our program and our conference.
"I'm really grateful for your questions today."
The war, which was formally declared by Israel on Oct. 8, has claimed at least 4,000 lives across both sides, according to the Associated Press. Israel's declaration stems from Hamas launching an attack on the country Oct. 7 which the Associated Press reported resulted in the deaths of more than 1,400 Israelis.
LIVE UPDATES: Biden announces Gaza aid; US says Israel not responsible for hospital airstrikes
MORE: The Israel-Hamas war explained: Understanding the conflict in Gaza amid rush to evacuate
Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn basketball's Bruce Pearl briefly touches on Israel-Hamas war
