Macklemore’s ‘Free Palestine’ tour will benefit group that called Oct. 7 a ‘prison break’
Jewish organizations slammed the rapper, who last month was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour after onstage pro-Palestinian comments.
Macklemore, a renowned rapper behind hits like "Thrift Shop" and "Can't Hold Us," is facing criticism from Jewish organizations over his plans to donate earnings from an upcoming concert tour to the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM). The group described the Hamas-led October 7 attacks on Israel as a "prison break." Macklemore was removed from an opening slot on Ed Sheeran's US stadium tour on September 14 after making pro-Palestinian remarks on stage.
He announced the "Free Palestine" tour on September 24, stating that all proceeds would benefit organizations supporting Palestinians. The PYM is one of twelve organizations slated to receive donations from the tour, which includes performances in Dublin on October 26, Paris on October 29, and London on October 30.
Following his dismissal from Sheeran's tour, Macklemore received a wave of support from fans, with all of Sheeran's remaining opening acts quitting in solidarity. He announced on Instagram that the "Free Palestine" tour had sold out immediately. The PYM is a grassroots movement comprised of Palestinian and Arab youth in the United States, Canada, and Britain.
On the first anniversary of the Hamas attacks, the group referred to the assault as a "prison break" and referred to the fighters as "the men who broke through" in an essay published in The New Inquiry. They described the fighters as having trained for months and stepping onto familiar terrain, without explicitly mentioning the loss of Israeli civilian lives.
A week after the attacks, PYM stated that Palestinian resistance is inherently just and essential for the survival of their people, emphasizing that it will continue and cannot be halted. Jewish and pro-Israel groups have vehemently condemned Macklemore for his support of the PYM, with the Jewish Leadership Council in Britain stating that referring to the October 7 massacre as a "prison break" risks legitimizing violence against Jews.
The Israeli-American Council, which petitioned Sheeran to drop Macklemore, called on concert organizers and Live Nation to explain their vetting process and ensure that proceeds from the tour do not support organizations that justify violence against innocent civilians. Neither Macklemore, Live Nation, nor the PYM has yet provided a response to these inquiries.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
