Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville delivered a statement from Auburn Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl during a Special Committee on Aging hearing on Israel’s Independence Day. The hearing focused on addressing antisemitism and featured testimonies from various witnesses, including former Congressman Ted Deutch and Rabbi Mark Rosenberg.
Senator Tuberville shared Coach Pearl’s message, as the coach was in Jerusalem at the time: “Shalom from Jerusalem. I’m an American Jewish college basketball coach visiting my ancestral homeland. Yesterday was Israel’s Remembrance Day. Today is Israel’s Independence Day. This is a very emotional time for everyone here because this country has been at war since birth.”
Pearl emphasized the importance of teaching history: “I’m very proud that in the state of Alabama, we have mandatory Holocaust education for middle school students. If we choose not to teach them, somebody else will.”
During the hearing, Tuberville raised concerns about the values being taught at college campuses: “Good people in this country are being taught that Palestinians are the freedom fighters and the people who are being oppressed.”
Ted Deutch responded by emphasizing the importance of accountability and security: “Congress can play a vital role both in helping to keep seniors, Jewish seniors, and all Jews safe by focusing on security and nonprofit security grants.”
Rabbi Mark Rosenberg added: “They need to follow the law, and I hope that if the law is on their side…if we do that, we’re not gonna have an issue.”
Senator Tuberville concluded by stressing the role of education in addressing these challenges and expressed his gratitude to the speakers for their participation.
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of several committees including Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging.
