Macklemore's Canceled Performance and Israel Criticism

Macklemore, you may or may not be familiar with,

but he was scheduled to give a performance with Ed Sheeran

at Gillette Stadium recently, and he was canceled by Robert

Kraft, owner of the Patriots and owner of a number of

stadiums, who is, I think it's fair to say,

a fairly fanatical

devotee of the state of Israel.

And not just devoted to the state of Israel, which is fine,

but devoted to hurting anyone who is not

and slandering them as anti-Semites.

And so he canceled this performer's appearance at his stadium and said

anyone who criticizes the state of Israel, and of course he dressed it up

in false language, anti-Semites, Nazis, Jew haters

are not allowed here.

But what's interesting about this case is that the performer he canceled,

Macklemore,

had a chance to speak for himself.

So we want to read this to you. This is what he said on stage as he

criticized the state of Israel's behavior in Gaza.

And just to all my Jewish brothers and sisters,

criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid,

being against genocide

in no way is a criticism of you. My message is for

peace, love for all human beings to be treated

with dignity, respect, and equality.

So I say free Palestine. I say free Lebanon, free Cuba. He goes on.

To my Jewish brothers and sisters, criticism of Israel,

criticism of apartheid,

being against genocide is no way a criticism of you because by

the way, it's not.

It's not.

Criticism of the behavior of a secular government

is not criticism of an entire people, many of whom

disapprove, in fact, hate what that government is doing.

And so don't let anyone lie to you. They are not the same thing.

That is not Jew hate, despite what the IHRA definition

may try to impose on you and this country's legal code.

They are not the same thing.