Major American Sports Leagues Perspective on the Palestine-Israrel Conflict

 by Zain Ahmed

Several celebrities and high-profile individuals have issued statements in regard to the ongoing conditions between Palestine and Israel.

In many cases, the statements have led to more people being misinformed about the present situation, as unverified news continues to surface on social media.

While young adults are leaning towards supporting Palestine, per a TikTok analysis, prominent sports organizations are showcasing their support for Israel, including players with the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLS.

The National Football League was one of the first to post comments supporting Israel. In addition to a statement the league observed a moment of silence before games in week 6 to acknowledge the Oct. 7 violence in Israel, according to X, formerly known as Twitter.  Per NBC Sports, teams that released statements in support of Israel included: Eagles, Falcons, Chiefs, Browns, Panthers, 49ers, Dolphins, Commanders, Vikings, Patriots, Jets, and Giants.

The NBA and NBPA issued a statement on X, that indicated their support for Israel. Lakers star Lebron James  sent out a statement with his business partner Maverick Carter, CNN reported.

Since being drafted in 2020, Deni Advija of the Washington Wizards, who happens to be the only current NBA player with an Israeli background has also been advocating for Israel consistently, according to TMZ Sports.

National Hockey Leagues also issued a statement on X, including league player Edmonton Oiler’s Zach Hyman, who has a Jewish background.

According to The Athletic, the MLS not only issued a statement on social media but informed clubs not to allow flags from either side into the stadium, a decision that was also made by the English Premier League.

Lastly both the PGA TOUR, as well as the MLB, also charmed in on the issue, also siding with Israel in their statements to the world.

At this time there seems to be clear support for Israel in major league sports. Many have tied the support for Israel to donor and business relations.