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.
Hasan Piker affirmed a hypothetical preference for Hamas over Israel through lesser-evil reasoning. Jon Favreau disputed the moral comparison, while the ADL cited it as whitewashing terrorism. Piker later acknowledged Hamas war crimes and denied endorsing its domestic policies, while maintaining that Israeli occupation was the overriding concern.
Role at the time: Recording artist commenting publicly on another performer’s political speech
Condemned
Responding to
An opening act should not use a headliner’s global concert platform to advance a one-sided political agenda without accountability and clear boundaries.
"Slogans such as “Free Palestine” offer the appearance of moral courage without requiring much political knowledge."
Why we used this label
The post makes a direct attributable criticism of the message and of the headliner’s response.
Role at the time: Institutional petition by an Israeli-American advocacy organization
Condemned
Responding to
An opening act should not use a headliner’s global concert platform to advance a one-sided political agenda without accountability and clear boundaries.
"This was an Ed Sheeran concert—not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event."
Why we used this label
The petition directly rejects the appropriateness of the performance and requests concrete remedial action.
