The Israeli-American Civic Action (IAC), which represents more than 150,000 Israeli-Americans, has launched a petition calling on British singer Ed Sheeran and the management of his Loop Tour to remove rapper Macklemore from the remainder of the tour.
The petition was launched following Macklemore's opening performance in New Jersey, during which, according to the IAC, the rapper used the stage to promote anti-Israel messages.
Macklemore performed at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey before an audience of more than 80,000 people. During the performance, he called out "Free Palestine" and performed his song "Hind's Hall." Images from Gaza and political messages were also displayed on the stadium's giant screens.
"This was an Ed Sheeran concert - not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event," the petition states.
The IAC argues that the issue is not Macklemore's right to freedom of expression, but rather what it describes as the use of an international concert stage to promote a "one-sided political agenda" through biased messaging and controversial claims presented to the audience as facts.
The organization also highlighted Macklemore's choice to perform "Hind's Hall," saying the song was written in support of pro-Palestinian campus protests in the US.
According to the IAC, the song's title refers to Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, which protesters occupied during pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The organization said some of the protests involved break-ins, vandalism and other violations of the law, arguing that such actions are inconsistent with basic American values.
The petition calls on Sheeran and the tour's management to remove Macklemore from the remaining performances and establish clear limits on the use of concert stages for political advocacy.
"Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from responsibility. Your concert, your stage, your responsibility," the petition states.
The IAC is also calling on the public to contact Live Nation, one of the world's largest concert promoters, and urge the company to take action over the incident.