July 18, 2023 — New York
American Jewish Committee issued this statement in response to an antisemitic remark made by former baseball star Johnny Bench.
“We appreciate that Johnny Bench has apologized for his ill-advised comment. One of the most common antisemitic tropes is the association of Jews with greed. It has fueled the hatred of Jews for thousands of years and still affects Jews today. That is why it was disheartening to learn of Bench’s remark during Gabe Paul's induction into the Reds Hall of Fame. As the Reds general manager from 1951 to 1960, in keeping with his Jewish values, Paul was instrumental in opening doors for minority players in Major League Baseball, including Reds icons like Frank Robinson and Tony Perez.”
