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Auburn Tigers men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl criticized President Barack Obama over the statement he made on the hunger situation in Gaza.
Obama suggested aid must flow to Palestinians regardless of whether Israel can secure a hostage deal.
Pearl, who is the chair of the U.S. Israel Education Association, criticized the former president on Monday for failing to demand that Hamas return the hostages it has held since the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attacks.
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Former President Barack Obama made a statement on the hunger situation in Gaza. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
“You gave billions to Iran and Hamas creating this mess and not one word from you calling for THEM to release the hostages, surrender and end the War! Tell Hamas to 1) Quit stealing and reselling aid 2) Stop attacking GHF workers who are feeding Gazans. 3) Leave and end suffering,” Pearl wrote on X.
Obama made the statement on social media on Sunday in reference to reporting from the New York Times stating that “Gazans are dying of starvation.” Israel, which blocked aid to Gaza earlier this year, has recently begun to airdrop aid resources into the region, and its leaders argue reports of starvation are a false campaign promoted by Hamas.
Reporting from Fox News’ Trey Yingst has indicated that hunger is indeed spreading across the region, however.
“While a lasting resolution to the crisis in Gaza must involve a return of all hostages and a cessation of Israel’s military operations, these articles underscore the immediate need for action to be taken to prevent the travesty of innocent people dying of preventable starvation,” Obama wrote on X, providing a link to the Times.
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl yells towards his players during the second half of the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Creighton on Saturday, March 22, 2025 in Lexington, Kentucky. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
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“Aid must be permitted to reach people in Gaza. There is no justification for keeping food and water away from civilian families,” he added.
President Donald Trump touted U.S. efforts to provide aid to Gaza when asked about the situation on Sunday. While meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the time, he stated that Europe has not provided aid to Gaza. He also said that Hamas is stealing much of the aid being sent to Palestinians, a claim Israel has put forward repeatedly.
“When I see the children and when I see, especially over the last couple of weeks people are stealing the food, they’re stealing the money, they’re stealing the money for the food. They’re stealing weapons, they’re stealing everything,” Trump told reporters.
“It’s a mess, that whole place is a mess. The Gaza Strip, you know it was given many years ago so they could have peace. That didn’t work out too well,” he added.
Pearl, who is Jewish, has been more outspoken against Hamas terrorists and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East since the terror attacks.
He explained on the “Being Jewish Podcast” in June about why he speaks out.
“Here’s the deal. One of the reasons why I do it, it’s really simple. What is your Middle Eastern studies course teaching you in high school? Oh, you don’t have one? Oh, so then let’s go on social media and let’s read the lies and the propaganda,” Pearl explained.
Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl reacts on the court against the Georgia Bulldogs at Stegeman Coliseum on Jan. 18, 2025. (Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)
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“In the back of their minds it’s, ‘Maybe they are right. Maybe the Jews did steal the land. Maybe they did run them out of their home. I don’t know.’ Well, that’s because you’ve never been taught. So you’re listening to the loudest voices, [which is] a very, very loud minority.”
Fox News’ Andres Hagstrom contributed to this report.
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