Seahawk defensive end Michael Bennett, who was scheduled to be one of 11 NFL players to visit Israel next week as part of a goodwill tour sponsored by the Israeli government, has decided not to make the trip, citing concerns over the country’s human rights abuses and denial of Palestinian rights.
Bennett made the announcement on Twitter Thursday and a press release Friday detailed that his decision “to pull out of the delegation comes on the heels of an open letter by renowned musicians, artists and social justice advocates released yesterday (Thursday) asking the NFL players to consider withdrawing from the delegation given Israel’s track record of human rights abuses.