American singer Macklemore excluded from Ed Sheeran's tour after his "Free Palestine" speech
Author, Gabriella Pomeroy
Role, BBC News
Published 7 minutes ago
Reading time: 4 minutes
US rapper Macklemore has been excluded from Ed Sheeran's US tour, after he made pro-Palestinian statements on stage earlier this month.
The artist - whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty - was participating in presenting the opening shows of Sheeran's concert tour (known as the Loop Tour), but he faced criticism from Jewish groups after he chanted "Freedom for Palestine" during two concerts and gave political speeches.
Macklemore stuck to his position and statements on Monday, confirming the news of his exclusion from the tour, and indicating in a statement that the real victims are the Palestinian people in Gaza.
There has been no comment from Ed Sheeran yet, and it is not yet known who will replace Macklemore in the rest of the tour stops.
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The controversy began on September 4, when rapper Macklemore, a longtime supporter of the Palestinian cause, participated in a concert by Ed Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
He told the crowd: “A big part of the reason I went on this tour in the first place was my desire to stand in stadiums like this and say two words that are very dear to my heart: Free Palestine.”
Then he performed his song "Hind's Hall", which denounces the Israeli military operations in Gaza, simultaneously with the display of video clips of the devastation inflicted on the Strip on the big screen.
Following that performance, the group “StopAntisemitism” criticized the rapper, saying that “Jewish fans bought tickets to see Ed Sheeran perform... not to be blindsided by anti-Israel propaganda provided by Macklemore.”
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The next night, Macklemore returned to the same stage and addressed his "Jewish brothers and sisters" in the audience.
“Criticizing Israel, criticizing the apartheid system, and opposing genocide is in no way a criticism of you,” he said, adding that he wants the people of Gaza and the West Bank to know that they have not been forgotten.
Israel rejects accusations of genocide, and asserts that its forces are carrying out "self-defense operations" in Gaza and the occupied West Bank in accordance with international law.
The Israeli army launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to an unprecedented attack led by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the killing of about 1,200 people and the taking of 251 others hostage, according to figures issued by the army.
During the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, more than 73,780 people were killed, according to data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
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However, the wave of objections against Macklemore escalated, and included a petition launched by the “Israeli-American Council” urging “Ed Sheeran” to exclude him from the artistic tour.
“This was an Ed Sheeran concert, not a political rally, protest or activist event,” the council said, adding that the rapper used “biased messages and controversial allegations.”
In a statement he posted on Instagram, which exceeded a thousand words, Macklemore explained that after a week of “difficult conversations” with Sheeran - which ultimately ended in a “fundamental disagreement” - it was decided to exclude him from the list of participants in the tour.
The tour's organizer, Messina Touring Group, told Rolling Stone that the venues told them they would not allow Macklemore to perform, "which would have resulted in the tour being canceled and negatively impacting hundreds of thousands of fans."
In his statement, Macklemore expressed his understanding of the difficult situation in which Sheeran found himself, but criticized the English singer for not taking a clear position.
“Taking sides can cost you a lot of money, brand contracts, sponsorships, festivals, private parties, relationships and opportunities,” he wrote. “You have lost all of these things. But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed.”
He also addressed accusations of anti-Semitism, noting that "one of the most effective ways to enforce silence is to turn the accusation of anti-Semitism into a weapon."
Macklemore added: “When criticizing Israel, opposing Zionism, or demanding the 'liberation of Palestine' is confused with hatred of Jews, this does not protect Jews, but rather protects Israel from accountability.”
But he stressed that - despite his participation in only two performances within the tour - if his words succeed in "redirecting the discussion towards Palestine, it will be considered the most successful artistic tour in which I have ever participated."
The wave of controversy also affected the American singer Pink - who is Jewish - after she re-published a message criticizing the singer Macklemore.
She also faced harsh criticism because of her position. The criticism affected everything, from her method of raising her children to previous statements she made about celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera.
Later, she published a lengthy statement in which she made clear that she did not speak on behalf of Israel or any government, and also explained the reasons for her criticism of Macklemore's statements and behavior on stage.
