Macklemore To Donate $1 Million From Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour Earnings To Palestine Relief Aid
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Rapper Macklemore has announced that he will donate his entire $1 million net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organisations working directly with Palestinians and providing relief aid in Gaza. The announcement comes after Macklemore was dropped as an opening act following his pro-Palestine comments at a concert in New Jersey.
Macklemore Announces $1 Million Donation
Macklemore made the announcement on Instagram, saying he wanted to shift the focus back to Palestinians who, he said, are still being killed, living under military occupation and fighting for their freedom.
He said the entire USD 1 million he earned from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour would be donated to six organisations supporting Palestinians.
Macklemore also challenged Robert Kraft to match his donation.
“Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting. A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth,” he wrote.
Kraft had previously refused to allow Macklemore to perform at Gillette Stadium outside Boston.
Robert Kraft Responds To Macklemore’s Challenge
In response, Robert Kraft said that before Macklemore challenged him to match the donation, Ed Sheeran had called him and asked him to commit $2 million to match Macklemore’s donation towards humanitarian aid in the region.
Kraft said the decision involving Macklemore was not intended to diminish the suffering of innocent Palestinians or deny anyone the right to advocate on their behalf.
He also said such advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure what he described as the responsibility of Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States and several other countries.
Kraft added that he has worked to bring young Palestinians and Israelis together to build businesses, create jobs and develop relationships.
“I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people,” Kraft said. “I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting.”
Macklemore Dropped From Ed Sheeran’s Tour
Macklemore was dropped as an opening act after his pro-Palestine comments during a concert in New Jersey.
The rapper had previously been prevented from performing at Gillette Stadium, which is owned by Kraft.
The dispute escalated after Macklemore announced his planned donation and publicly invited Kraft to match it.
Other Opening Acts Leave Tour
The controversy has also affected the remaining opening acts on Ed Sheeran’s tour.
All four of Sheeran’s other opening acts — Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Beoga and Lukas Graham — have withdrawn from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore and Palestine.
