NASCAR President Steve Phelps Joins Major Sports League Commissioners as They Stand United in the War Against Antisemitism

2023 was certainly an eventful year. While the sporting world saw many blockbuster events, from NASCAR’s first street race to F1’s inaugural Vegas road race, the world outside witnessed a bloody, full-fledged war between Israel and Hamas, which had compound effects all over the globe, even in sports. In fact, according to a statement from the FCAS, following the Israeli bombardment, there has been an increase in antisemitic hatred of almost 400%.

Now that both sides are playing politically and getting their respective narratives to the public around the world, American sporting leagues have united to curb the rising hate. Commissioners of the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, and NWSL all joined hands to combat anti-Semitism, along with Steve Phelps, president of NASCAR.

NASCAR President backs the New England Patriots owner’s foundation

Founded in 2019 to fight against the growing hate against anti-Semitism, New England Patriots owner and New England Revolution owner Robert Kraft formed FCAS (Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism), which has been spearheading the war against hate campaigns and spreading awareness to the public. The nonprofit organization seeks to raise awareness for and respond to antisemitism in the United States while promoting the rich Jewish culture and stories.

With the Middle Eastern war rocking the world last year and Israel pledging to put an end to the dispute, there has been a spree of hate crimes against Jews around the world, and the United States being home to a large Jewish population also saw many grievous acts. To put a stop to all this and spread the word, combating antisemitism, major sporting league heads joined hands under Kraft’s foundation at the NFL League office in New York.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Adam Silver, commissioner of the NBA, commissioner of the WNBA, Cathy Engelbert, Rob Manfred, commissioner of MLB, Gary Bettman, commissioner of the NHL, Don Garber, commissioner of MLS, and Jessica Berman, commissioner of the NWSL, joined forces, coming together to wage war against hatred under the banner “#StandUpToAllHate #StandUpToJewishHate.”

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Kraft drops his rhetorical statement

During the momentous meeting held in New York, the group heard from several experts on the history of antisemitism across the country, how it connects with other forms of hate, and how it can be effectively curbed. Then they brainstormed ways in which the sporting giants can work together and use their platforms to combat antisemitism and hate crimes in general for a better tomorrow.

While FCAS has hosted 80 different meetings on the matter, the most recent one was held in an attempt to expand on the conversations from the October meeting held at Gillette Stadium. Speaking at the meeting, Kraft, according to NBC, said, “In today’s world, we have seen hate manifest itself in more ways than one, in ways that have brought divisiveness and ugliness to communities across our nation.”

Further, he iterated how the sports league heads have the power to make a massive difference, given that sports can unite fans irrespective of religion, creed, or nationality. He said, “As leaders in the sports community, we are uniquely suited to tackle this fight through our platforms. Sports bring people together in a way that nothing else can — to root for one team and one cause. I am grateful for the willingness of these leaders to come together to discuss an issue that is so close to my heart and for their efforts to stand up to Jewish hate and all forms of hate.”

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