This article was originally published on Crafting Your Home. A human contributor also wrote and edited the post.
The post Macklemore Breaks Silence After Free Palestine Backlash, Says His Words Were Never Aimed at Jewish People first appeared on Crafting Your Home
Macklemore is addressing the firestorm that followed his opening sets for Ed Sheeran, insisting that his repeated calls to “free Palestine” during back-to-back shows at MetLife Stadium were never meant as an attack on Jewish people.
The rapper, whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, used his platform in front of tens of thousands of fans in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to speak on the war in Gaza, and the fallout has followed him ever since, drawing in a petition, a pop superstar, and a wave of public debate over what belongs on a concert stage.
The controversy began on Friday, September 4, when Macklemore opened for Sheeran’s Loop Tour in front of a crowd of more than 80,000 people.
Wearing a keffiyeh, he told the audience he wanted his message to reach beyond the stadium. “A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart, free Palestine,” Macklemore said, according to Complex.
“I want those words to be loud and clear, so that people all the way in Gaza to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten about them.”
What Macklemore Said on Stage at MetLife Stadium
Macklemore’s remarks that night extended well beyond a single phrase. He went on to call for freedom in several other countries and regions, tying his message to broader themes he has returned to throughout his career.
“I say free Palestine, I say free Cuba to the Congo to Sudan to Iran, and all the people in America who have to live in fear because of this terrorist organization ICE,” he told the crowd, per Complex.
He then performed his 2024 protest song “Hind’s Hall” while footage from Gaza and images from pro-Palestinian demonstrations played across the stadium’s video screens.
The song’s title refers to the name that pro-Palestinian student protesters gave to Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall after occupying the building during campus demonstrations in 2024, a reference Macklemore has said was inspired by the students involved.
He repeated a version of the same message the following night, September 5, during his second performance opening for Sheeran at the same venue.
Macklemore has been vocal about the Israel-Palestine conflict for several years, and “Hind’s Hall” was released in May 2024 with proceeds directed toward humanitarian relief efforts tied to the war.
During his Friday set, Macklemore also tied his message to a personal note about his own family, describing what he wanted the world to look like for his 11-year-old daughter.
He said he hoped her world would be “the most beautiful possible” before adding that he believes every person on earth deserves that same feeling, a moment several outlets described as one of the more emotional passages of his set.
It was shortly after that reflection that he moved into the section of his performance built around “Hind’s Hall” and the accompanying stadium visuals.
The petition, Pink, And The Wider Backlash
The Israeli-American Council, an advocacy group that says it represents more than 150,000 Israeli Americans, responded by launching a petition addressed to Sheeran, his management, the venues hosting the remaining tour dates, and concert promoter Live Nation.
The organization argued that Macklemore’s set crossed a line that a concert should not cross. “This was an Ed Sheeran concert, not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event,” the petition reads, according to Ynetnews.
“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.”
The IAC’s petition went further, accusing the performance of relying on “selective imagery, biased messaging, and disputed claims presented to a massive audience as fact, without context or complexity.”
The group specifically called out the decision to perform “Hind’s Hall,” saying its inclusion made the political intent of the set unmistakable, and asked tour leadership to clarify whether the performance had been approved in advance.
As of this writing, the petition does not publicly display a running signature count, and Sheeran has not issued a public statement addressing the calls for Macklemore’s removal or the petition itself.
The backlash also reached other corners of the music industry. Pink shared a post from the account StopAntisemitism to her Instagram Story that criticized Macklemore’s performance, and singer Boy George posted his own reaction on social media.
“On the subject of Macklemore, it’s important to note that slogans such as ‘Free Palestine’ offer the appearance of moral courage without requiring much political knowledge,” Boy George wrote, according to IBTimes UK.
He continued by criticizing Sheeran directly, writing that the singer “clearly has no spine” for not addressing the controversy, and credited Pink for speaking out against the performance.
Macklemore Clarifies His Message Was About Peace, Not Attacking Any Group
Two days after the initial performance, Macklemore addressed the growing controversy directly from the stage during a subsequent tour stop, and he also posted about it on Instagram.
“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,” he told the crowd, according to Variety. “My message is for peace, love and for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality.”
He then repeated and expanded the list of places he was calling to free, tying his message once again to a broader theme rather than singling out any one conflict.
“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 organization, ICE,” Macklemore said, per Variety. “None of us will be free until we are all free.”
He posted footage of his remarks to X on Monday, September 7, captioning the video, “Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial,” according to TheWrap.
Macklemore has not addressed the Israeli American Council’s petition by name, and he has not commented publicly on the reactions from Pink or Boy George.
He has, however, consistently framed his position as centered on equality and peace rather than opposition to any religious or ethnic group.
Sheeran, for his part, has not made any public comments about the controversy surrounding his opening act, and representatives for the singer have not issued a statement addressing whether Macklemore’s role on the remaining tour dates is under review.
The reaction online has been split just as sharply as the reaction from within the music industry, with some fans and commentators praising Macklemore for using his platform to speak on an issue he has campaigned on for years, and others echoing the Israeli American Council’s argument that a ticketed concert is not the appropriate setting for a one-sided political message on a subject as contentious as the war in Gaza.
Neither side shows signs of backing down, and the petition continues to circulate online even as Macklemore’s clarification has been widely shared and covered.
For now, Macklemore remains part of the Loop Tour lineup, with no indication from Sheeran’s camp, Live Nation, or the venues involved that they’re considering any change to the schedule.
The debate over his remarks, however, shows no sign of quieting down, with reactions continuing to split along familiar lines between those who see his statements as a legitimate expression of political conscience and those, like the Israeli American Council, who argue that a stadium concert paid for by tens of thousands of fans was the wrong venue for the message. Both Macklemore and his critics appear to be holding firm to their positions as the tour continues.
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