Celebrity4 min(s) read
Macklemore has defended his "Free Palestine" message after facing backlash from a pro-Israel organization over comments he made while opening for Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour.
Last week, the 43-year-old rapper, whose full name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, performed at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium and told the crowd he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten.
"The truth is, a big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I can stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine," he said.
"I want those words to be loud and clear so the people all the way in Gaza, to the occupied West Bank, know that we have not forgotten about them," he added.
The rapper also spoke about his 11-year-old daughter, Sloan, saying he wanted the same hopes and opportunities for children around the world.
"I have an 11-year-old daughter, her name is Sloan, she’s here tonight. And if any of you guys are parents, then you know that that love that you have for your kids cannot be put into words, right?"
He continued: "I want to see her grow up, I want to see her go to school, to fall in love, to figure out meaning, purpose, joy, her existence on this planet. I want it to be the most beautiful possible. And I think that every single human being that walks this earth deserves that exact same feeling," per The Independent.
"To know safety and peace before they know the sound of violence, to know the sound of laughter on a playground before planes and bombs, for parents to be able to say bye to their kids in the morning and not have to wonder if this is going to be the last time they kiss their child goodbye."
Macklemore added that he chose to continue speaking despite feeling nervous about the reaction.
"And if I let that fear I felt on the plane yesterday stop me from speaking my heart in order to keep my own comfort and the audience’s comfort, that is the day I no longer continue to be on stage," he concluded.
Following the performance, the Israeli American Council launched a petition calling for the 'Thrift Shop' rapper to be removed from the remaining dates of Sheeran’s tour.
"This was an Ed Sheeran concert - not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event," the petition argued, per Variety.
"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," they said.
The organization also asked the team to "clarify whether Macklemore’s political speech, visual content, and performance of Hind’s Hall were approved in advance, and to establish clear boundaries for the use of the tour stage to promote political messaging."
Macklemore’s song 'Hind’s Hall' was inspired by 2024 protests at Columbia University, where demonstrators renamed Hamilton Hall in tribute to Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza while waiting for aid.
The Grammy-winning star responded on X, writing: "Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial."
His post included footage of his speech from the second of two consecutive performances at MetLife Stadium.
After saying "Free Palestine" onstage, Macklemore addressed Jewish audience members and said his criticism was not directed at them.
"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. My message is for peace; love for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality," he said.
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 organization, ICE. None of us will be free until we are all free."
