Macklemore donates $1 million salary to Palestinians, urges Pats owner to match [UPDATED]

On Wednesday, rapper Macklemore announced he would be donating his entire $1 million salary as Ed Sheeran's opener to six Palestinian relief organizations via Instagram. The donation came after pressure from owners of several venues where Macklemore and Sheeran were scheduled to perform, reportedly at the urging of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, a strong supporter of Israel.

Kraft objected to Macklemore using his stage time to bring attention to the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, who the UN has labeled as victims of genocide. Sheeran's subsequent statement criticizing Macklemore's actions led to his sudden removal from the tour. In response to his firing, Macklemore has garnered widespread support, including from musician Colin Kaepernick, who called Kraft's actions a form of collusion against free speech.

Macklemore stated that he took the opening gig to shine a light on the Palestinian people, who continue to suffer under military occupation. He added that he would donate the full $1 million to six organizations supporting the Palestinian people and invited Kraft to match his donation. Whether Kraft will match the donation remains to be seen, as he recently accused Macklemore's initial statement of being "antisemitism."