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Robert Kraft saw the 2018 massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh—the death, pain, and suffering that caused—followed by a series of other attacks on Jews that reached a crescendo with the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas in Israel. Now he is answering the call to fight anti-Semitism and other acts of hate by founding The Blue Square Alliance Against Hate.
This is because, as Kraft says, there is no place for such violence in the world, and sports can be a means of uniting and inspiring people to join the fight against hate.
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Power: Sports bring people together
Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots looks on prior to the 2025 NFL game between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on October 5, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Bryan Bennett/Getty Images)
“We think the most influential group in the country is the sports leagues to get messages out,” Kraft told Pakinomist and OutKick in an exclusive interview. “It’s the only thing in America, it summons people from all backgrounds to come into stadiums or arenas and root for the home team, people from every ethnic background.
“And it’s the one place where people come together. And unfortunately, I’ve seen the growth of hate in this country like I’ve never seen before. And we need the sports community to speak out and push out, wear the blue square, which is a symbol of unity, sisterhood, brotherhood, bringing people together to push hate and talk about love.”
This work of The Blue Square Alliance was on full display Thursday with a gathering of sports executives, athletes and professional club owners representing the NBA, NFL, Major League Baseball, NASCAR and others.
PATRIOTS’ ROBERT KRAFT EXPRESSES CONCERN WITH FAILURE TO CALL ANTI-SEMITIC ATTACKS FOR WHAT THEY ARE
Robert Kraft introduces Mike Vrabel as head coach of the New England Patriots during a press conference at Gillette Stadium on January 13, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Billie Weiss/Getty Images)
Blue Square Alliance Event At Patriots’ Home
Robert Kraft held an event at Gillette Stadium on November 6, 2025. (Out Kick)
At the event, held at Gillette Stadium, which Kraft built and where his New England Patriots play, the Blue Square Alliance held sessions to help sports leaders better understand the rise of anti-Semitism in the country and around the world.
There were also sessions on rebuilding the traditional, but lately fractured, partnership between blacks and Jews. There was also a session on how athletes have risen above hate.
“That’s the most important thing for this country, I love that you know,” Kraft said, “it’s the greatest country in the world, but we’re losing a little bit of weight.”
What did Kraft mean by that?
“I meant, unfortunately, you know, I think I’m 35,” joked the 84-year-old Kraft. “But I’ve spent more time on the planet than most people in space. And I’ve never seen a time in America where we lack empathy and listen to the other side.
“Everything is confrontational and divisive. And I think social media has contributed a lot to that, and we don’t have the right sanctions on that. We need to bring people together and not preach this hate.”
Blue Square Alliance monitors anti-Semitism
Blue Square Alliance and Kraft know what they are talking about.
The foundation has established a headquarters at Gillette Stadium, which is staffed by about 28 people and includes a kind of war room where a billion — with a B — public conversations posted on Instagram, Reddit, Twitter and other social media are monitored in real time and filtered to identify Jew-hatred and other hate topics.
The group can tell you patterns that can be different from one college campus to another, from one city to another, from one generation like Gen Z to another.
“It helps us know and develop the most impactful, persuasive messages because we know what people are talking about and how to develop messages that can break the cycle of hate,” said Blue Square Alliance President Adam Katz.
Mission is important to Kraft
Robert Kraft speaks during Historic Roots of Black and Jewish Solidarity on 92NY on March 7, 2024 in New York City. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)
Katz says anti-Semitism speech that is “extremely frightening” has been “massively increasing”.
“We’ve seen more in the last two years, more volume of anti-Semitic hate speech online in the last two years than in the entire 10 years prior to that,” Katz said.
And that’s why this mission is so important to Robert Kraft.
“That’s why we’re here today,” he said. “After my family, [it] is the most important thing in my life.”
