Robert Kraft, the Jewish billionaire and owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, confirmed Monday that he played a role in the decision to remove pro-Palestinian Arab rapper Macklemore from Ed Sheeran's North American tour.
The controversy began after Macklemore performed at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, where he accused Israel of genocide and said “Free Palestine" while images from the war in Gaza were displayed.
His comments drew criticism from Jewish and pro-Israel organizations, including the Israeli-American Council, which called for him to be removed from the tour. Jewish pop star Pink also criticized the rapper.
On Monday morning, Sheeran's North American promoter told Rolling Stone that Macklemore had been dropped after some venues objected, saying they “will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup."
Macklemore subsequently claimed on social media that Kraft had initiated the pressure campaign. “Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium," the rapper wrote on Instagram. “Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues."
Kraft later acknowledged his involvement and explained that Gillette Stadium had decided Macklemore's appearance would violate its standards regarding hate speech.
"Gillette Stadium has a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech. Based on Macklemore's recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran's shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, we determined that his participation in the September 25th and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line," said Kraft.
He 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. I agree with Macklemore. Too many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate. Over many decades, I have directed resources to Palestine and created athletic and entrepreneurial opportunities for Palestinians who I admire and respect. Standing with the Palestinian people and standing against Hamas, antisemitism and hate should not be mutually exclusive."
Kraft said his opposition to antisemitism and hate has been a major focus of his work over the past decade and that he felt obligated to respond when he believed that boundary had been crossed.
"Much of my time and attention for the last decade has been focused on the fight against antisemitism and hate of all kinds, and I feel a responsibility to stand up when I believe that line has been crossed. I have tremendous respect for Ed and his music, particularly his unique ability to bring people together and spread joy, and I have always been proud to welcome him and his fans to Gillette Stadium," Kraft said.
Kraft concluded by offering to meet with Macklemore to discuss the dispute.
"I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with Macklemore and discuss the facts, because ultimately our goal is the same - peace for all people, an end to suffering, and an end to all hate."