Macklemore is donating $1 million earned opening for Ed Sheeran’s “Loop Tour” to Palestinian aid organizations after being dropped from the tour over his political views.
The rapper was removed from the tour following a performance at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 4 and 5, where he called for “Free Palestine” and performed “Hind’s Hall.”
The Organizations Receiving the Funds
The donation will go to six organizations:
- PCRF
- HEAL Palestine
- Gaza Soup Kitchen
- Medical Aid for Palestinians
- UNRWA USA National Committee
- ANERA
Macklemore announced the gift on Instagram, writing: “Palestinian lives are worth protecting. A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth.”
He added: “I am doing it because I can and because these organizations are doing the work while much of the world debates it.”
He closed with: “When the news cycle moves on, which it will, don’t move with it. Free Palestine.”
Who Dropped Him and Why
Robert Kraft, 85, is alleged to have pressured Sheeran by saying he’d block Sheeran from Gillette Stadium and rallied other stadium owners. Kraft confirmed he opposed Macklemore’s participation at Gillette based on the rapper’s “history of antisemitic rhetoric.”
Kraft said Sheeran called him earlier Wednesday to ask him to commit $2 million to match his own donation toward humanitarian relief.
Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Beoga pulled out of Sheeran’s tour in solidarity after Macklemore’s removal.
Sheeran has said the decision was made by the tour promoter and venue owners, not by him personally.
Kraft’s Response
Kraft has defended his position publicly. He says he supports Palestinian opportunities and brings young Palestinians and Israelis together.
Kraft committed $2 million in response to Sheeran’s request.
The donation is real, the organizations are named, and Macklemore has explained why he is giving the money.
Macklemore wrote that Palestinian lives are worth protecting and that a Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth. That is the statement he is making, and the donation backs it up.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs Macklemore’s gift to Palestinian aid groups and is against any regulation that would raise the cost of entry for small artists or lock out challengers to today’s music industry leaders. The rapper has used his earnings from opening for Ed Sheeran’s “Loop Tour” to fund six organizations, including PCRF, HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA USA National Committee, and ANERA, and he has explained his reasons on Instagram.
The donation is a matter of individual choice, not one that needs regulating. When a business directly harms people, the paper supports oversight aimed at that harm; when an artist gives money to causes they believe in, the paper sees no need for a rulebook.
The paper would want the conversation to stay on the facts of the gift and its stated purpose, rather than drifting into questions about whether the donor’s motives are sincere or whether the recipients deserve the funds. The paper would also want any discussion of the tour’s lineup changes to focus on the stated reasons — the tour promoter and venue owners made the call, per Sheeran — rather than speculation about who pressured whom.
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