Palestinian aid groups stand to receive up to $3 million after New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft pledged to match rapper Macklemore’s $1 million donation by committing $2 million of his own. Kraft announced the pledge on the Gillette Stadium X account, framing the money as aid “to match his donation to aid in the region and fight this humanitarian crisis.”
Kraft positioned the gift as part of his long record of public philanthropy and intercultural work. “I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people,” he wrote, and added, “I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting.” He also said he had been contacted earlier by “Ed,” and that Ed now plans to reach out to other venue owners to continue efforts to “build bridges.”
The financial move follows Macklemore’s earlier announcement that he would give the entire $1 million in net earnings he made as the supporting act on Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organizations serving Palestinian civilians. Macklemore named Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, Heal Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA USA National Committee and Anera as recipients. In his statement the rapper said he wanted to “bring the conversation back to where it belongs: to the Palestinian people,” and challenged Kraft to match the donation.
The pledge comes amid a public fallout over Macklemore’s removal from the Loop Tour. Ed Sheeran said he could not “find a mutual resolution” after the controversy and wrote, “I am not complicit.” Sheeran has said venues and promoters, including Kraft, pressured him to remove Macklemore. The decision prompted several other acts on the tour, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Beoga and Aaron Rowe, to withdraw in solidarity with Macklemore.
Kraft has defended his position by saying Gillette Stadium will not provide “a platform for hate speech,” and by accusing Macklemore of a history of rhetoric he says was offensive to the Jewish community. Kraft also reiterated what he described as longstanding support for the Palestinian people. With the matched funds now pledged and outreach between Kraft and Sheeran under way, the next steps will include coordination over the distribution of the donations and any further venue or promoter responses to the dispute.
