In the US, Macklemore publishes concert video after antisemitism accusations
American rapper Macklemore, following accusations of antisemitism over remarks made at a concert, published an Instagram video of his performance at MetLife Stadium in New York, United States. In the clip, he explained that one of the reasons for joining the tour was the desire to say from stages and stadiums across America: “Free Palestine.”
Performance before Hind’s Hall
As Dawn reports, the musician said he wants residents of Gaza and the occupied West Bank to know that they have not been forgotten. He made these remarks before performing Hind’s Hall, a 2024 protest song dedicated to US students who protested against Israel’s war in Gaza.
Macklemore also thanked students, including representatives of Columbia University. According to the publication, students renamed one of the dormitories in honor of six-year-old Hind Rajab, who, Dawn writes, was killed by Israeli forces; this became the source of the song’s title. The rapper praised students who, he said, risked their degrees, tuition fees and scholarships.
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Address to the Jewish community
The musician separately addressed Jews around the world, stating that criticism of Israel and apartheid, as well as his opposition to what he calls genocide, is not criticism of the Jewish people. According to him, his message concerns peace, love, dignity, respect and equality for all people.
During the performance, Macklemore also expressed support for Lebanon, Cuba, Congo, Sudan and people in the United States who, he said, live in fear of the ICE immigration service. In the caption to the Instagram video, he said that the desire for equal treatment of people should not be controversial.
Earlier, the Israeli-American Council launched a petition calling for Macklemore to be removed from Ed Sheeran’s US tour, of which Friday’s concert was also a part. Dawn also reports that since the start of the war in 2023, Israeli forces have killed nearly 73,500 people in Gaza, despite a ceasefire that, according to the publication, has been in effect since October last year.
