Macklemore has responded to backlash over his pro-Palestine comments while opening for Ed Sheeran, insisting his criticism of Israel is not directed at Jewish people.
Per Variety, the rapper addressed the controversy during his second show at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on Saturday, after his comments the previous night prompted the Israeli-American Council to call for his removal from the remainder of Sheeran’s US ‘Loop’ tour.
“To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you,” Macklemore said. “My message is for peace; love for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality.”
He continued: “So I say free Palestine, I say free Lebanon, I say free Cuba, I say free Congo, free Sudan, I say free all people in America living in fear of this terrorist organisation, ICE. None of us will be free until we are all free.”
Macklemore had used his opening set on Friday to voice his support for Palestinians, telling the crowd he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten. “I believe that every human being walking on this earth deserves exactly the same freedom,” he said.
The comments preceded a performance of “Hind’s Hall”, Macklemore’s 2024 protest song released amid pro-Palestinian demonstrations at US universities. Footage from Gaza and political messaging was displayed on screens around the stadium during the performance.
His performances drew criticism from some concertgoers and Jewish organisations, with the Israeli-American Council launching a petition urging Sheeran and his team to drop Macklemore from upcoming dates, according to Variety.
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“This was an Ed Sheeran concert – not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event,” the petition reads. “The issue is not whether Macklemore has the right to hold political views. The question is where the line should be drawn when an opening act uses a global concert platform to advance a one-sided political agenda.”
Singer P!nk was among the more vocal critics, demanding Sheeran offer fans refunds for Macklemore’s political references. Kaleidoscope News explained the situation here:
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Others have defended Macklemore’s decision to use the stadium platform to speak about the conflict.
The rapper has been a vocal supporter of Palestine in recent years. He released “Hind’s Hall” in May 2024, with proceeds directed to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The song was named after Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall, which pro-Palestinian protesters occupied and renamed in honour of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza.
Macklemore later followed the track with “Hind’s Hall 2”, featuring Palestinian-American artists Anees and Amer Zahr, Gaza-born rapper MC Abdul and the Los Angeles Palestinian Kids Choir.
Sheeran has not publicly commented on Macklemore’s remarks or the petition calling for his removal from the tour.
