Ed Sheeran's US tour is facing pressure to drop Macklemore after the rapper chanted "Free Palestine" while appearing onstage, prompting a petition and public criticism that threaten to complicate the run of dates. The Israeli‑American Council launched the petition after the appearance, and some ticket buyers posted messages calling for Macklemore's removal; representatives for Sheeran have been asked for comment.
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The incident took place during recent New Jersey shows where Macklemore introduced his protest song Hind's Hall and spoke directly to the audience. Addressing Jewish fans, he said, "To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, is in no way a criticism of you." He also told listeners he wanted to say "Free Palestine" on stages across America.
The council said the stadium appearance, in its view, presented a political message without context and urged Sheeran to remove Macklemore from the remainder of the tour. Clips of the performance circulated widely online, drawing both criticism and public defence from other fans. Macklemore, who only recently joined Sheeran's Loop tour in the US and is due at further dates in the coming weeks, posted a clip with the caption, "Wanting all humans to be treated equal[ly] should never be controversial."
In a longer video he explained his motive, saying, "One of the reasons I wanted to come on this tour was because I wanted to stand up on stages across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine," and added, "My message is for peace, love, for all human beings to be treated equally and with dignity." The video frames the intervention as a moral appeal rather than an attack on Jewish people.
The dispute sits against a wider international controversy over Israel's conduct in Gaza and the West Bank. Israel rejects allegations of genocide and says its forces operate in self-defence under international law. The Israeli military's campaign in Gaza followed the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 73,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since then, including more than 1,300 after a ceasefire declared on 10 October 2025; that ministry's figures are regarded as reliable by the UN. The International Court of Justice is hearing a case from South Africa accusing Israeli forces of genocide, a process that could take years to conclude.
Promoters, venues and Sheeran's team now face a decision over whether to respond to the petition and the divided public reaction. The controversy revives earlier scrutiny of Macklemore's stage conduct; in 2014 he apologised for a costume that critics said was antisemitic. How Sheeran's camp responds could determine whether the argument remains a social‑media episode or evolves into a sustained tour-level fallout.
