Macklemore Calls for 'Free Palestine' During Ed Sheeran Concert

American rapper Macklemore, performing as a warm-up act for Ed Sheeran, used his stage time at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Friday to call for "Free Palestine." Addressing tens of thousands of concertgoers, Macklemore also played his song "Hind's Hall," which features anti-Israel sentiments, with images from Gaza displayed on screens behind him. He stated, "I want people in Gaza and the West Bank to know that they are not forgotten," adding that "every person on Earth deserves the same freedom." Some Israelis in attendance expressed shock and offense at the rapper's remarks.

"Hind's Hall," released in May 2024 amid pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. campuses, is a strong expression of Macklemore's stance against Israel. In the song, he accuses Israel of "genocide" and "apartheid," claims "the Nakba never ended," and rejects the notion that anti-Zionism is antisemitism. The song's title refers to Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, which was occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters and renamed "Hind's Hall" in honor of Hind Rajab, a Palestinian child killed in Gaza.

Macklemore, whose song "Can't Hold Us" was a hit in Israel, has been a vocal critic of Israel since the outbreak of the war, participating in pro-Palestinian events and speaking out frequently. The concert was part of Sheeran's "Mathematics Tour," with over 80,000 seats at MetLife Stadium. Macklemore is joining Sheeran for select U.S. dates on this tour.