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Tuesday 28 March 2023
Patriots owner Robert Kraft campaigns against antisemitism

Continued from Front Genesis Prize, awarded to
Jews who have achieved
The ads are intended to significant professional suc-
tug at the heartstrings of cess and are committed to
non-Jewish Americans, said Jewish values. The annual
Matthew Berger, the foun- award is given by the Gen-
dation’s executive direc- esis Foundation in partner-
tor. One of the ads, set to ship with the Israeli Prime
premiere Monday, shows a Minister’s Office and the
non-Jewish neighbor paint- Jewish Agency for Israel.
ing over a garage door Over the past decade,
vandalized with the Nazi Kraft has encountered
swastika and the words “No much turbulence in his per-
Jews,” concluding with the sonal and professional life.
message: “Hate only wins if In 2015, he and his team got
you let it.” caught up in the so-called
Another ad focuses on on- “Deflategate” scandal. The
line hate: A Jewish teen is NFL issued a 243-page re-
shown crestfallen as he is port after an investigation
trolled after posting a vid- found that Patriots employ-
eo of his bar mitzvah. Soon ees violated the league’s
after, he sees a Harlem rules covering game balls
choir tag him with their ver- and that the team’s star
sion of his worship song. He New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft walks the field during practice before an NFL football quarterback, Tom Brady,
sings along with the choir game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Orchard Park, N.Y. Associated Press was “at least generally
as these words pop up on aware” of plans to deflate
screen: “Voices of sup- at Jewish people and com- ories online. A campaign me, is the real breakdown the footballs to his liking.
port are louder than words munities last year. It’s the against antisemitism which of what this society stands Kraft accepted the team
of hate.” Berger said the third time in five years that solicits the support of non- on,” Kraft said. “In my life- penalty of a $1 million fine
foundation worked with the annual total has been Jewish people can help time, I have never seen the and loss of two draft picks.
its creative team to find the highest ever recorded create awareness, he said. way things are right now In 2020, Florida prosecutors
scenarios “that would be since the group began col- “It is so important to show with this hatred against dropped a misdemeanor
specifically impactful and lecting data in 1979. that antisemitism is un- Jews.” charge against Kraft after
showcase what antisemi- The Center for the Study of American,” Levin said. “If The mass shooting at the courts blocked their use
tism looks like.” He said the Hate and Extremism, based we can show non-Jews as Tree of Life synagogue in of video that allegedly
ads will be featured during at California State Univer- allies, that could be pow- Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 2018, showed him paying for
the NFL draft and the NBA sity, San Bernardino, re- erful.” In October, Kraft’s in which 11 people were massage parlor sex. He is-
and NHL playoffs, as well as ported last week that Jews foundation aired a 30-sec- killed in the nation’s deadli- sued a statement saying he
on social media, promoted were the most targeted ond ad during a Patriots- est antisemitic attack, was “hurt and disappointed” his
by prominent influencers. of all U.S. religious groups Jets game urging the pub- a catalytic moment in his family, friends, co-workers,
The campaign’s launch fol- in 2022 in 21 major cities, lic to speak out against life, said Kraft. Two months fans and others who hold
lows last week’s release of accounting for 78% of re- antisemitism. That ad came after the shooting, he at- him “to a higher standard.”
a report by the Anti-Defa- ligious hate crimes.Brian after antisemitic comments tended a Shabbat service “I expect to be judged
mation League asserting Levin, the center’s director, made by the music mogul at the synagogue, the day not by my words, but by
that antisemitic incidents said he is concerned about formerly known as Kanye before his team was to play my actions. And through
in the U.S. rose 36% in 2022. brazen, public expressions West and basketball star the Steelers. those actions, I hope to re-
The report tracked 3,697 in- of antisemitism, and the Kyrie Irving’s apparent sup- Kraft established the foun- gain your confidence and
cidents of harassment, van- proliferation of antisemitic port for an antisemitic film. dation a year later, after respect,” Kraft said at the
dalism and assault aimed tropes and conspiracy the- “The rise of antisemitism, to he received the $1 million time.q

UN Security Council won’t probe Nord Stream blasts

By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN curity Council, it needs a Stream 2, are majority-
Associated Press minimum of nine "yes" votes owned by Russia's state-run
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The in the 15-member coun- energy giant Gazprom.
U.N. Security Council on cil, and no veto by one of Nord Stream 1 carried Rus-
Monday declined a Rus- the permanent members sian gas to Germany until
sian request to investigate — the United States, Russia, Moscow cut off supplies
the blasts on the pipelines China, Britain and France. at the end of August 2022.
that move natural gas from The U.S. deputy ambas- Nord Stream 2 never en-
Russia to Europe under the sador, Robert Wood, said tered service as Germany
Baltic Sea. there was no need for a suspended its certification
Russia, China and Brazil U.N. probe when investiga- process shortly before Rus-
voted in favor of the Rus- tions by Sweden, Denmark sia invaded Ukraine on Feb.
sian request, but other Se- and Germany "are pro- 24, 2022. The explosions on
curity Council members ceeding in a comprehen- both occurred on Sept. 26.
abstained or said another sive, transparent and im- The investigations by Euro-
In this picture provided by Swedish Coast Guard, a leak from investigation was unneces- partial manner." pean nations have yet to
Nord Stream 2 is seen, on Sept. 28, 2022. sary. For a resolution to be The pipelines, known as yield conclusive results, at
Associated Press adopted by the U.N. Se- Nord Stream 1 and Nord least none made public.q