Macklemore pledges $1 million to Palestinian relief groups

Macklemore says he will donate the full $1 million he earned from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to organizations supporting Palestinians, days after he was dropped from the tour amid backlash over his pro-Palestinian remarks onstage.

The rapper, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, announced the pledge Wednesday on Instagram and called on New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to match it. The money, he said, represents all of his net earnings from Sheeran’s tour and will go to six groups: Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, American Near East Refugee Aid and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.

“Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protection,” Macklemore wrote. “A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any life on this earth.”

The announcement followed Macklemore’s statement Monday that he had been removed from the remaining U.S. dates of Sheeran’s tour after venue operators threatened to cancel shows because of his performance at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Before performing “Hind’s Hall,” a protest anthem he released in 2024, Macklemore told the crowd, according to video he posted, that part of why he wanted to join the tour was to say “Free Palestine” in stadiums. He also said his criticism of Israel’s government was not aimed at Jewish people.

Macklemore and Sheeran said Kraft was among the venue representatives who objected to the rapper appearing at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Macklemore further alleged that Kraft “rallied” other stadium owners to give Sheeran an ultimatum. Sheeran said Tuesday that Kraft was among those who raised concerns, while also saying the decision to remove Macklemore was ultimately made by the tour promoter.

Kraft did not deny Macklemore’s allegations in a statement to NBC News. He said the decision was not meant to stifle Palestinian advocacy or diminish Palestinian suffering, but followed Macklemore’s comments at the New Jersey shows and “a broader history of rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.”

“Much of my time and attention for the last decade has been focused on the fight against antisemitism and hate of all kinds, and I feel a responsibility to stand up when I believe that line has been crossed,” Kraft said.

In a statement to Al Jazeera, Kraft said the decision to bar Macklemore from his venue was not about “diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians” but that “advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas.” He also said he has spent decades “directing resources” to Palestinians and added, “Standing with the Palestinian people and standing against Hamas, antisemitism and hate should not be mutually exclusive.”

After Macklemore’s donation pledge, Kraft said Sheeran had contacted him before the rapper’s post to ask for a $2 million match to aid the region. “Ed now plans to reach out to other venue owners and our goal is to continue to work together to build bridges,” Kraft wrote.

The controversy also drew criticism from Pink, who is Jewish. She said Friday that she was not trying to get any artist fired or silence anyone, but objected to Macklemore showing “violent images” from Israel’s military campaign in Gaza in a stadium filled with families and then telling Jewish audience members “it wasn’t about them.” She also cited a 2014 incident in which Macklemore wore a costume with a wig, fake beard and hooked nose that was criticized as invoking antisemitic tropes. Macklemore apologized at the time, and the Anti-Defamation League accepted the apology, The Guardian reported.

Al Jazeera reported that all supporting acts for Sheeran’s upcoming U.S. tour dates have pulled out in solidarity with Macklemore, with some Irish artists citing their country’s history of occupation.

Macklemore said Wednesday that he wanted to move attention away from himself and back to Palestinians. “Writing a check is one of the least costly forms of solidarity available to me,” he wrote. “I am doing it because I can, and because these organizations are doing the work while much of the world debates it.”

“When the news cycle moves on, which it will, don’t move with it,” he added. “Free Palestine.”