Ex-Auburn coach Bruce Pearl hails Robert Kraft as a hero for banning Macklemore over antisemitic rants

Former Auburn men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl joined "Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich" to defend New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft after Kraft banned rapper Macklemore from Gillette Stadium.

Pearl, a prominent Jewish voice in college sports, praised Kraft as a "hero and a patriot" for taking a firm stand against antisemitism.

Speaking with Dakich, Pearl argued that Macklemore's messaging crosses from political commentary into overt hate speech.

BRUCE PEARL EXPLAINS WHY HE REFUSES TO STAY SILENT ON ISRAEL AND ANTISEMITISM "I think it's great to have this discussion," Pearl said.

"Here's where I want to go with what he said, because it wasn't just about hating the Jews. 'Free Palestine,' to Palestinians or to Arabs, means free Palestine of the Jews.

How would you free Palestine of the Jews? Well, you either scare them off, run them off, or murder them." During Ed Sheeran's tour at MetLife Stadium , Macklemore sparked controversy with anti-Israel rants and his protest track "Hind's Hall." MACKLEMORE'S LONG HISTORY OF CONTROVERSY FROM GRAMMY WINS TO 'FREE PALESTINE' CONCERT REMARKS Kraft subsequently banned him from Gillette Stadium , citing Macklemore's history of anti-Semitic tropes, including a 2014 Seattle outfit widely condemned as a Hasidic Jewish caricature.

Kraft's move triggered a wave of venue rejections, forcing tour promoters to drop Macklemore entirely .

Pearl warned that many people repeat activist slogans without understanding their historical weight.

"Free of colonization or free of genocide or whatever terms people use, that's not what this means," Pearl stated.

"This simply means we're going to do to the Jews in Palestine like we did to them in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, or Iraq." BILL MAHER RIPS MACKLEMORE'S GAZA STANCE, SAYS CELEBRITY 'MORAL CONFUSION' IS FUELING ANTISEMITISM Pearl also addressed chants calling to "globalize the Intifada," noting that historical Intifadas involved violent attacks targeting civilians on buses, in hotels, and in the streets.

"Asking for somebody's death is not free speech," Pearl emphasized.

"It is hate speech, and it should not be allowed." Pearl emphasized that leaders cannot remain silent when witnessing hate.

MIKE HUCKABEE CALLS OUT MACKLEMORE ON ANTISEMITISM: 'VOICE' OF 'JEW HATRED' "We grew up in a time where Dr.

King talked about silence as complicity," Pearl told Dakich.