Columnist criticizes Ed Sheeran’s statement on Gaza — Jerusalem Post

In the Israeli publication Jerusalem Post, columnist Cookie Schwaeber-Issan criticized British singer Ed Sheeran’s statement regarding Israel and Gaza. The author believes that, when speaking about the humanitarian catastrophe and civilian deaths in Gaza, the musician did not mention Hamas and its role in the October 7 attack on Israel.

What Sheeran said

According to a quote cited in the column, Sheeran said that throughout his career he has tried not to be a political commentator, as he wants his music and concerts to be about unity and humanity rather than politics.

At the same time, the singer described the events in Israel and at the Nova music festival on October 7 as horrific. He characterized the situation in Gaza as catastrophic, unjustifiable and disproportionate, and also expressed pain over the scale of destruction and civilian deaths, including children.

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The columnist’s position

Schwaeber-Issan argues that the absence of any mention of Hamas in Sheeran’s statement is a significant flaw in his position. She links the October 7 attack to the actions of this group and considers it unacceptable to equate the responsibility of the attackers and the victims of the attack.

The author also mentioned American rapper Macklemore, who was the opening act at Sheeran’s concert. According to her, he said “Free Palestine” during his performance. The column is distinctly evaluative in nature and presents its author’s position on the British musician’s statement.