# Ed Sheeran caught between Kraft and free speech

> The pop star's attempt to stay neutral on Palestine backfired when a billionaire forced him to drop Macklemore from his tour.
- Title: Ed Sheeran caught between Kraft and free speech · Mother Jones
- Summary: The pop star's attempt to stay neutral on Palestine backfired when a billionaire forced him to drop Macklemore from his tour. Trying to appear neutral on a…
- Keywords: ed sheeran, robert kraft, macklemore, palestine, israel, free speech, censorship, stadium tour, pro-palestine, friends of the israel defense forces, Sheeran, caught
- Source: Mother Jones — https://motherjones.com/politics/2026/09/which-side-is-ed-sheeran-on
- Author: Alex Nguyen
- Published: 2026-09-20T15:20:06+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ed sheeran, robert kraft, macklemore, palestine, israel, free speech, censorship, stadium tour, pro-palestine, friends of the israel defense forces
## Kraft pressures Sheeran to drop Macklemore
Billionaire Robert Kraft demanded Macklemore be removed from Ed Sheeran's stadium tour after the rapper made pro-Palestinian comments onstage at MetLife Stadium.
## Kraft's history with pro-Israel funding
Kraft has donated extensively to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces and the United Democracy Project, a super PAC that backs pro-Israel candidates.
## Sheeran tries to walk the middle line
At his Philadelphia show, Sheeran said he avoids being a political commentator and called Gaza's situation catastrophic while defending venues' right to host diverse views.

> This concert is still a place where everyone is welcome and everyone here can stand beside people that have opposing views.
## Macklemore called Israel's actions genocide
During MetLife Stadium shows, Macklemore advocated for Palestinian freedom and called Israel's actions genocide, a designation most scholars agree with.
## All opening acts quit in solidarity
All four remaining opening acts withdrew from the tour after Macklemore was dropped, taking significant financial hits despite Sheeran's massive platform.
## Critics say neutrality enables the powerful
Palestinian activists accused Sheeran of false balance on genocide, while he called the week one of the worst of his life, questioning whether he wanted to be an artist.

> The last week of my life has been one of the worst weeks of my life.
## Key takeaway

Trying to appear neutral on a polarizing issue often satisfies no one, especially when power dynamics are at play.