While opening for Ed Sheeran at MetLife Stadium, Macklemore called for a free Palestine, accused Israel of apartheid and genocide, and said criticism of Israel was not criticism of Jewish people. The Israeli-American Council sought his removal, while the Anti-Defamation League and StopAntisemitism called the performance hostile, biased, or propagandistic. Macklemore published the speech in full and defended it as a demand for equal treatment. Boy George condemned the message; Paloma Faith praised it. P!nk amplified a critical post without writing a separate case-specific explanation, and Sheeran had not publicly addressed the dispute by the editorial cutoff.
During a September 2, 2026 appearance on The Left Hook, Rula Jebreal described House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries as a “bought and paid by AIPAC monkey” and “basically an errand boy,” while immediately denying racial intent. Jebreal later apologized for the terms. The Congressional Black Caucus and several lawmakers characterized the wording as racist, while Wajahat Ali and Joy-Ann Reid emphasized intent and surrounding context while also criticizing the language.
At the August 30, 2026 Jewish American Summit in Los Angeles, Mosab Hassan Yousef said he did not want Muslims in America, used profanity to tell Muslims to leave the United States, and told them to return to and reform the countries they came from. Audience members applauded. Critics characterized the remarks and the response as anti-Muslim bigotry; the dispute also concerns responsibility among the event's organizers, sponsors, speakers, and public commentators.
Mark Ruffalo connected Oracle’s assistance to the Israeli military and Larry Ellison’s financing of Paramount’s proposed Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition to concerns about Gaza, surveillance, media concentration, and oligarchic power. Paramount and several Jewish organizations said his framing echoed conspiracies about Jewish wealth and media control. Ruffalo and his defenders argued that he criticized identified executives, military contracts, and a documented corporate transaction—not Jews as a group.
Jebreal’s use of “monkey” and “errand boy” to describe Jeffries was racist anti-Black language regardless of her stated intent.
"Using monkey to anyone Black, it has terrible racial connotations. But I think you caught yourself and said you didn't mean it with any racial animosity."
Why we used this label
The response both challenges the language and gives weight to the speaker’s stated intent, so it is conditional rather than a categorical defense or condemnation.
Role at the time: Israel-studies professor, personal analysis
Mixed or conditional
Responding to
Hasan Piker’s remarks about American Jews, Israel, and antisemitic violence
"Jews are entitled to have an attachment to Israel."
Why we used this label
He agrees with the need to distinguish Jewish identity from Israel while explicitly separating his position from the safety condition he attributes to Piker.
Role at the time: U.S. Representative; co-introducer of the resolution
Condemned
Responding to
Hasan Piker’s “Hamas over Israel” comparison
"We cannot be selective in calling out antisemitism."
Why we used this label
An official statement condemning Piker's rhetoric in a resolution that includes the comparison. The classification is not a claim that Gottheimer's quoted words addressed only this statement.
