Pro-Israel group petitions Macklemore be fired from Ed Sheeran tour for 'Free Palestine' statement

Pro-Israel group petitions Macklemore be fired from Ed Sheeran tour for 'Free Palestine' statement at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on Friday, rapper Macklemore called out, 'Free Palestine! ' as part of a lengthy statement during his set. 'A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine,' said Macklemore to the packed crowd, adding, 'I want those words to be loud and clear, so that people all the way in Gaza to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten about them. ' He also noted that one of his main reasons for taking the opening gig for headliner Sheeran was to express his political views on the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza, among other topics. ,' the 43-year-old rapper continued, 'Every single human being that walks this earth deserves to know safety and peace before they know the sound of violence, to know the sound of laughter on a playground before planes and bombs, for parents to be able to say bye to their kids in the morning and not have to wonder if this is going to be the last time they kiss their child goodbye. 'in response, calling for tour organizers to denounce Sheeran's opener. The statement called Macklemore's stance 'one-sided,' relying on 'selective imagery, biased messaging, and disputed claims presented to a massive audience as fact, without context or complexity. ' The group, which claims to represent some 150,000 Israeli Americans, has started a petition calling for Macklemore to be removed from the eight remaining tour dates. The group also threw some shade that a mere 'opening act' would dare express solidarity with an oppressed people. ' directed support for an ultimately successful gay marriage referendum in his home state of Washington, clearly anticipated the blowback, prefacing his remarks by noting, 'And if I let that fear I felt on the plane yesterday stop me from speaking my heart in order to keep my own comfort and the audience's comfort, that is the day I no longer continue to be on stage. ' He also went on to condemn the Trump regime's ongoing anti-immigrant policies and call for peace in places from Sudan to the Congo to Iran.