Macklemore Clarifies Call to ‘Free Palestine’ Isn’t a ‘Criticism’ of Jewish People: ‘My Message Is for Peace’

After Macklemore’s onstage plea to “free Palestine” sparked a demand from the Israeli American Council for his removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour, the rapper clarified that his calls for “peace” are “in no way a criticism” of Jewish people. “To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters, criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, in no way is a criticism of you,” Macklemore said during his second night opening for Sheeran at the MetLife Stadium. “My message is for peace, love (and) for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality.” “So I say free Palestine. I say free Lebanon. I say free Cuba. I say free Congo, free Sudan, free all people in America living in fear over this terrorist organization ICE,” he continued. “None of us will be free until we are all free.” Macklemore’s second onstage statement comes two days after his initial call to “free Palestine” received backlash from the Israeli American Council, which began circulating a petition Saturday calling for the musician to be removed from all tour dates. The petition has not been successful, however. Macklemore performed as slated on Sept. 5. He posted the video of his opening remarks onto Instagram on Monday, writing, that “wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial.” “One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because I wanted to stand up here onstage on stages and stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: free Palestine,” Macklemore said to the MetLife crowd. “I said free Palestine,” he continued. “I want those words to be loud and clear, so that people from Gaza, all the way to occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten them.” His remarks geared up for his introduction of “Hind’s Hall,” a song he titled after the name pro-Palestinian student protestors gave to a Columbia University building they occupied after the IDF’s killing of Palestinian 5-year-old Hind Rajab. The song was “inspired by the bravery of Columbia University students who led an encampment movement that mobilized the entire world,” he said.