Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots, accepts request to honor murdered Ezra Schwartz, 18, an avid Patriots fan, during Monday night’s prime-time football match.
By CORAL BRAUN
Robert Kraft, the Jewish businessman, New England Patriots owner, and long-time supporter of American football in Israel, agreed Monday to honor Ezra Schwartz, an American who was killed in a terror attack at the Gush Eztion junction in the West Bank on November 19, with a moment of silence during the Patriot’s upcoming match against the Buffalo Bills Monday night.
Ezra Schwartz, 18, of Massachusetts was delivering food to Israeli soldiers when he became one of three people killed by a man who fired shots from his vehicle and rammed pedestrians in the West Bank. – Photo: Facebook
The move would expose 80,000 game-goers and millions of Americans on live television to Ezra’s story, and would be the first acknowledgment on such a grand-scale of the fact that an American citizen was killed in the recent wave of terror that has struck Israel.
Kraft’s decision to honor Ezra was a reaction to a correspondence with former Yesh Atid MK Dov Lipman, who urged the American businessman to bring awareness to Ezra’s story in whichever way he sees fit.
“It would mean so much to the people of Israel, to supporters around the world, and to Ezra’s family and friends if the Patriots could do something in his memory,” Lipman wrote in an e-mail to Kraft.
Schwartz was an avid football fan who was passionate about the Patriots.
“The one theme which comes out over and over again was his passion for the Patriots,” Lipman wrote. He mentioned that at Sunday night’s funeral, a Patriots jersey, alongside an Israeli flag, was placed besides Ezra’s body.
Ezra’s father Avi, while eulogizing his son on Sunday, said that the boy would keep up with the sport and his chosen team even while in Israel. “Football kept us connected,” he said. “We loved it together. We all have such fond memories of the togetherness of watching sports.”
New England Patriots celebrate a touchdown – Photo: REUTERS
Lipman hoped to bring awareness to Ezra’s story, in part, due to the lack of media coverage on the circumstances of his death. “Many in Israel and around the world have been shocked that almost no media outlets covered the murder of this boy who came to Israel for a year of study and volunteering and was shot by a Palestinian terrorist while on his way to his volunteer activity,” he wrote.
On Monday afternoon, Lipman received confirmation that Kraft would honor his request.
The Patriots match is set to air at 8:30 PM EST on Monday night.
View original The Jerusalem Post publication at:
http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Patriots-to-honor-Ezra-Schwartz-with-moment-of-silence-during-prime-time-match-435070
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