Dear Gary Bettman,
Hockey has a lot of problems. Officiating debates, questionable contracts, struggling franchises and fans who think every second-period turnover deserves a congressional investigation.
But antisemitic hate in an NHL arena should be an easy one.
On Thursday, Oct. 22, during the St. Louis Blues’ game against the Vegas Golden Knights, protesters displayed banners reading “Israel Kills” and “Free America from Israel.” One sign depicted a Star of David surrounded by imagery resembling blood.
The Blues won 6-2. Yet the most troubling story from the night had nothing to do with the scoreboard.
The organization subsequently condemned the display, and chairman Tom Stillman said arena staff and local law enforcement confiscated the prohibited banners and ejected those responsible.
Good. That was the appropriate response.
Now, Gary, where is the league-wide statement?
Gary Bettman Should Not Leave This to Individual Teams
Bettman, the NHL’s longtime commissioner and a Jewish American, understands that hockey is bigger than any single franchise. The league has a responsibility to protect its players, employees and fans from discrimination.
That responsibility should include a clear public message about antisemitism and the distinction between political protest and religious hatred.
Criticizing Israel’s government is legitimate. Debating military policy, American foreign aid and the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is legitimate.
But the conversation changes when political messaging uses Jewish symbols in imagery designed to evoke blood and hostility, or when Jewish people are treated as collectively responsible for a government’s decisions.
The Star of David is not the Israeli government. Jewish hockey players are not diplomatic representatives. And Jewish fans should not have to wonder whether walking into an arena means walking into a political confrontation over their identity.
Bettman does not need to settle the Middle East conflict from behind a podium. Nobody is asking him to issue a foreign-policy manifesto.
He should, however, make the league’s standards unmistakable.
Gary, make the statement. Condemn antisemitism. Defend Jewish fans. Make clear that every NHL arena must be a place where people can watch hockey without being targeted for who they are.
That is not a radical demand. It is basic leadership.
Blues Fans Who Think This Is Fine Need to Explain Themselves
Let’s address the reaction from the corners of Blues fandom that defended the protesters or dismissed the team’s condemnation.
The argument is familiar: criticizing Israel is not antisemitism.
Correct. That distinction matters, and people should not be accused of antisemitism simply for criticizing Israeli policy.
But that does not automatically make every banner, symbol or slogan appropriate. Context matters. So does the imagery used to deliver a message.
The protesters’ group, the 2026 Freedom Convoy, disputed the Blues’ characterization and maintained that its actions constituted political criticism. That disagreement should be acknowledged.
It does not mean every criticism of the team’s response is persuasive.
If your position is that the Israeli government deserves criticism, make that case. Discuss its policies. Present your arguments. Hold officials accountable.
But if you are defending imagery that invokes blood around a Jewish symbol, you should expect people to question why that imagery was necessary to make your point.
And if your response to a Jewish person’s concern about antisemitism is simply to shout that criticism of Israel is not antisemitism, you have not actually addressed the concern.
You have changed the subject.
The Blues’ statement explicitly condemned antisemitic rhetoric and said the signs were not representative of its fans or the city. That was an important distinction. The conduct of a few protesters should not be used to smear every St. Louis supporter.
Still, fans who defended the display should consider whether they are applying their principles consistently.
You can support Palestinian rights without tolerating antisemitism. You can oppose Israeli government policies without treating Jewish identity as a political provocation.
Those ideas are not mutually exclusive.
Israel Is Entitled to Exist. Jewish Fans Are Entitled to Feel Safe.
Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people and a sovereign state with a right to exist in security. Its citizens deserve protection from terrorism, just as Palestinians deserve security, dignity and fundamental rights.
Supporting Israel’s existence does not require endorsing every decision of its government. Recognizing Palestinian suffering does not require hostility toward Jewish people.
A serious discussion of the region must be able to hold those truths together.
But too often, sports venues become another stage for political hostility. Athletes and fans are pulled into arguments that have little to do with the game, and people with Jewish or Israeli connections can find themselves treated as symbols rather than individuals.
That is particularly troubling in hockey, a sport that prides itself on community and belonging.
Jewish players have contributed to hockey for generations. Jewish fans have filled arenas, supported their teams and helped build the sport’s communities. None of them should have to pass a political loyalty test at the door.
And nobody should have to hide their heritage to avoid becoming a target.
Commissioner, Put the NHL on the Record
The Blues have already made their position clear. Now Bettman and the NHL should reinforce the standard across the league.
The response does not need to be complicated:
- Condemn antisemitism and harassment targeting Jewish people.
- Distinguish legitimate criticism of Israel from attacks on Jewish identity.
- Make sure arena policies against hateful or prohibited displays are consistently enforced.
- Remind teams and fans that political disagreement does not justify discrimination.
The NHL should also be clear that these principles apply to every community. Jewish fans deserve protection, and so do fans targeted because of their race, religion, nationality or other protected identity.
This is not about silencing debate. It is about ensuring that debate does not become a license for hate.
Gary Bettman has spent decades leading a league that wants to grow its audience and make hockey welcoming to more people. This is an opportunity to demonstrate that those ambitions mean something beyond marketing slogans.
The Blues took action. Their chairman issued a statement. The next step is for the league to communicate its expectations.
Come on, Gary. Say it plainly: antisemitism has no place in hockey.
And to Zeev Buium, Jewish hockey fans and everyone else who wants to enjoy the sport without being dragged into hostility over their identity: keep showing up, keep playing and keep being proud of who you are.
Go Buium. Go Israel. And let hockey be hockey — without asking Jewish players and fans to apologize for existing.
