Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Rapper Macklemore has pledged to donate his entire $1 million net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to organisations supporting Palestinians, days after he was removed from the tour following his pro-Palestinian remarks on stage. He has also challenged New England Patriots owner and US promoter Robert Kraft to match his donation.
Macklemore announced the pledge in a social media statement on Wednesday, saying, “With everything that has happened over the last 48 hours, I want to bring the conversation back to where it belongs: to the Palestinian people who are still being killed, still living under military occupation, and still fighting for their freedom (sic).”
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He added, “I will be donating the entire $1 million of my net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organizations working directly to support Palestinian people. And I invite Robert Kraft to match my donation. Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting. A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth (sic).”
The donation comes amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Macklemore’s ouster from Sheeran’s US tour. The rapper had delivered a “Free Palestine” speech during a performance at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. In a statement relaying a phone call with Sheeran, Macklemore accused Kraft of rallying other NFL stadium operators and threatening to prevent Sheeran from performing at the venues unless he was dropped from the tour.
Kraft, who owns the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, responded via a statement saying that the venue would not host events that “provide a platform for hate speech.” He described Macklemore’s remarks as “deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.”
Kraft added, “This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf. Their pain and loss are real. But that advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas, a United States and globally (including Canada, European Union, United Kingdom, and Japan) designated terrorist organization whose horrific actions have caused immeasurable suffering for Palestinians and Israelis alike (sic).”
On Wednesday, Kraft acknowledged Macklemore’s donation challenge and said Sheeran had separately asked him to contribute. “Earlier today, before Macklemore challenged me to match his donation, Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis,” Kraft wrote.
“Ed now plans to reach out to other venue owners and our goal is to continue to work together to build bridges,” he added.
Kraft also said, “In addition, I’d like the people who are speaking in support of the Palestinian people to know that for decades, I have supported efforts that create opportunity for Palestinians, and have brought young Palestinians and Israelis together to build businesses, create jobs, and forge relationships.”
The controversy has also led several supporting acts to withdraw from Sheeran’s tour. Irish folk band Beoga, who had performed alongside Sheeran during his sets, announced their decision in solidarity with Macklemore. “As musicians, playing to those crowds every night is the stuff of dreams,” the band said, “but to play in venues that silence anyone advocating for a Free Palestine is simply not an option for us.”
Macklemore also explained why he had chosen to donate his tour earnings. “Writing a check for me is one of the least costly forms of solidarity available to me,” he wrote, adding, “I am doing it because I can, and because these organizations are doing the work while much of the world debates it.”
He continued, “But aid alone cannot address the conditions that make it necessary. This is a manmade injustice, and I believe it requires immediate political change. Palestinians have lived for decades without basic rights and should not have to live another day to be free. That is where my focus will remain.”
The six organisations receiving Macklemore’s pledged donation are the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA USA National Committee and American Near East Refugee Aid.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
