Staff Reports
The Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), a rabbinic public policy organization, is calling out major league sports leagues in the U.S., including the NFL, NBA, and MLB, for their support of Black Lives Matter (BLM) after certain BLM affiliated organizations expressed support for Hamas’ attack on Israel. CJV describes BLM as “a movement that advocates the murder of Jews.” CJV Vice President Dov Fischer states that the groups behind BLM have joined forces with terrorists who seek to harm Jews, making it unacceptable for American businesses, particularly sports teams, to financially support them.
Jewish Group Calls for Major League Sports to End Backing of BLM, After They Show Support for Hamashttps://t.co/5jBWIZ9fxi
— RedState (@RedState) October 26, 2023
BLM Chicago tweeted an image in support of Palestine and the attack on Israel, although the tweet was later deleted. The BLM Global Network Foundation, considered the primary BLM organization, did not denounce the tweet, but disassociated themselves from the Chicago chapter. BLM has a history of making anti-Semitic remarks, with a video from 2015 showing one of the co-founders, Patrice Cullors, stating the need to “end the imperialist project called Israel” if they wanted to make a difference. Despite these issues, American professional sports leagues have still supported BLM through players and coaches kneeling during the National Anthem and financial contributions.
The question now is whether major league sports will continue their support for BLM after their connection to the Hamas attack on Israel. While major league sports aim to please all their fans, getting involved in politics risks alienating a portion of their audience. This could result in financial losses regardless of which side they align with. A recent poll showed that the majority of voters, around 61%, sided with Israel in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Many sports fans have already expressed their disapproval of teams supporting BLM, and other activities like players kneeling during the National Anthem have negatively impacted the NFL’s ratings. Major league sports officials should take note and consider the potential consequences of their decisions. For example, the Texas Rangers held a moment of silence for the victims in Israel before a game, and they are now headed to the World Series.
