Report: Robert Kraft to receive Genesis Prize next week in Israel
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft will be traveling to Israel next week to receive the Genesis Prize. The Associated Press was the first to report the news.
Dubbed as the "Jewish Nobel Prize," the Genesis Prize is granted each year to an individual in recognition of their commitment to Jewish values.
Kraft is well respected in Israel because of his massive donations, which includes the Kraft Sports Complex, which he donated in 2017 to the city of Jerusalem to promote American football in Israel. With help from Kraft, the country now has more than 2,000 active football players and more than 80 teams at various levels.
“Robert Kraft’s visit to Israel next week represents a very important milestone in the fight against anti-Semitism, BDS and other efforts to delegitimize the state of Israel,” said Stan Polovets, chairman and co-founder of the Genesis Prize Foundation.
“By accepting the Genesis Prize and declaring his commitment to confront the evils of anti-Semitism head-on, Robert has also accepted a tremendous amount of responsibility. Responsibility to speak up against hate. Responsibility to lead. And responsibility to unite,” he added.
Kraft will receive a $1 million award, which he has already decided to donate, according to organizers, to fight anti-Semitism, the Palestinian-led boycott movement against Israel, known as BDS, and what they say are attempts to delegitimize Israel. He is also scheduled to have lunch with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and be the keynote speaker at a ceremony hosted by Martin Short.
