New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft quietly reached out to the parents of Max Steinberg -- the American who joined the IDF and was killed in battle -- after finding out he was a huge Patriots fan.

In his letter, Kraft says he saw a photo of Max wearing a Pats hat during news coverage of his death -- and felt moved to write, "He represents the consummate patriot and I am forever grateful for the sacrifices he made to keep our beloved Israel safe."

Steinberg, a 24-year-old from Southern California, died 2 weeks ago during an intense battle in Gaza that also killed 12 other IDF soldiers.

Kraft added a handwritten note at the bottom of the letter -- which appears to be framed already -- "We are all Patriots with love of our tradition and the people of Eretz Israel."

Pretty extraordinary and classy move on Kraft's part. The letter was first published by a reporter for the "Jewish Journal."