After rapper Macklemore cried "Free Palestine!" as he took the stage as the opening act for music superstar Ed Sheeran, opened a Pandora's box of controversy over free speech and the place of politics at a music concert "that is not dying down any time soon," said Philissa Cramer on the Haaretz Podcast.

Cramer, recently appointed senior Jewish Life correspondent for Haaretz, recounted on the podcast how, when Gillette Stadium and New England Patriots billionaire owner Robert Kraft refused to have Macklemore at his venue later in the Sheeran tour, and the rapper was removed as an opening act for Sheeran, the incident "turned from a story about was Macklemore doing something that his audience found objectionable - to a story about cancel culture."

In addition to telling the story of the war of words and promises of donations, Cramer discussed with podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer whether the episode carried lessons for the embattled organized U.S. Jewish community as the list of prominent celebrities speaking out publicly Palestinian rights continues to grow.

Read more:

Pro-Israel Group Petitions Ed Sheeran to Drop Macklemore for Saying 'Free Palestine'

Ed Sheeran Apologizes for Macklemore Controversy, Says Gaza Devastation Is 'Unjustifiable'

Robert Kraft vs. Macklemore Reveals New Reality in 'Free Palestine' Debate

After rapper Macklemore cried "Free Palestine!" as he took the stage as the opening act for music superstar Ed Sheeran, opened a Pandora's box of controversy over free speech and the place of politics at a music concert "that is not dying down any time soon," said <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/ty-WRITER/000001a0-6284-d43a-affe-7fd650e30000">Philissa Cramer</a> on the Haaretz Podcast.
Cramer, recently appointed senior Jewish Life correspondent for Haaretz, recounted on the podcast how, when Gillette Stadium and New England Patriots billionaire owner Robert Kraft refused to have Macklemore at his venue later in the Sheeran tour, and the rapper was removed as an opening act for Sheeran, the incident "turned from a story about was Macklemore doing something that his audience found objectionable - to a story about cancel culture."
In addition to telling the story of the war of words and promises of donations, Cramer discussed with podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer whether the episode carried lessons for the embattled organized U.S. Jewish community as the list of prominent celebrities speaking out publicly Palestinian rights continues to grow.
Read more:
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/life/2026-09-06/ty-article/.premium/pro-israeli-group-urges-ed-sheeran-to-drop-macklemore-over-pro-palestine-speech/000001a0-7668-dc32-affe-ff7c1f000000">Pro-Israel Group Petitions Ed Sheeran to Drop Macklemore for Saying 'Free Palestine'</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/life/2026-09-20/ty-article/ed-sheeran-says-gaza-devastation-is-catastrophic-and-unjustifiable/000001a0-bc5d-d91d-afeb-fc5d84aa0000">Ed Sheeran Apologizes for Macklemore Controversy, Says Gaza Devastation Is 'Unjustifiable'</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/haaretz-today/2026-09-15/ty-article/.highlight/robert-kraft-vs-macklemore-reveals-new-reality-in-free-palestine-debate/000001a0-a608-dea8-afe0-e6ac89e80000">Robert Kraft vs. Macklemore Reveals New Reality in 'Free Palestine' Debate</a>

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

Your audio guide to Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.

Haaretz Podcast

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer. 

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

Ed Sheeran and Macklemore-gate: What happened and what does it mean?

The violence of extremist settlers on the West Bank as they systematically terrorize, attack and even displace Palestinian communities is a “perversion of Judaism” and a desecration of God’s name,” said Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast in the week between the Jewish New Year and its Day of Atonement. 

Joining Weiman-Kelman on the podcast is Loui Ridi, a Palestinian American who flew from Ohio back to his home in the West Bank village of Qusra, after settlers laid siege to his neighborhood and the IDF declared a closed military zone. Ridi has been unable to leave his house for a month due to the order, and says the closure has been selectively enforced against Palestinians, while the army refuses to remove the settlers.  

Ridi is flying the American flag on his house, he said, “as a message to the U.S. government, to the U.S. officials, that I need protection and I need help.”

Weiman-Kelman, a former president of Rabbis for Human Rights and retired spiritual leader of Kol HaNeshama, a Reform synagogue in Jerusalem, reflected on the situation in the West Bank and the overall state of the country following Rosh Hashanah and ahead of Yom Kippur – a day on which, he said, “I want to atone for still feeling the effects of October 7, for the nationalist part of me overcoming the universal vision that is also part of me.” 

Israel today is not only threatened by external enemies, but “threatened from within by the moral center of this country beginning to shatter and disintegrate before our eyes,” he said. 

“We live in a country where people feel encouraged and empowered to express their darkest sides through acts of physical violence,” he said, including repeated vandalism to the Reform synagogue in Jerusalem he founded in 1985.

Read more:

One Month and One IDF 'Outpost Evacuation' Later, Qusra Remains Besieged by Settlers

Palestinian-American Returns to West Bank Home Besieged by Israeli Settlers

B'Tselem Says Israel Is Implementing a 'Project of Elimination' Against Palestinians in the West Bank

IDF Dismisses Commander Over Praying With Settlers at West Bank Outpost

American Rabbis Confront a Fraught Question This High Holy Day Season: How to Talk About Israel

The violence of extremist settlers on the West Bank as they systematically terrorize, attack and even displace Palestinian communities is a &ldquo;perversion of Judaism&rdquo; and a desecration of God&rsquo;s name,&rdquo; said Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast in the week between the Jewish New Year and its Day of Atonement.&nbsp;
Joining Weiman-Kelman on the podcast is Loui Ridi, a Palestinian American who flew from Ohio back to his home in the West Bank village of Qusra, after settlers laid siege to his neighborhood and the IDF declared a closed military zone. Ridi has been unable to leave his house for a month due to the order, and says the closure has been selectively enforced against Palestinians, while the army refuses to remove the settlers.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Ridi is flying the American flag on his house, he said, &ldquo;as a message to the U.S. government, to the U.S. officials, that I need protection and I need help.&rdquo;
Weiman-Kelman, a former president of Rabbis for Human Rights and retired spiritual leader of Kol HaNeshama, a Reform synagogue in Jerusalem, reflected on the situation in the West Bank and the overall state of the country following Rosh Hashanah and ahead of Yom Kippur &ndash; a day on which, he said, &ldquo;I want to atone for still feeling the effects of October 7, for the nationalist part of me overcoming the universal vision that is also part of me.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Israel today is not only threatened by external enemies, but &ldquo;threatened from within by the moral center of this country beginning to shatter and disintegrate before our eyes,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We live in a country where people feel encouraged and empowered to express their darkest sides through acts of physical violence,&rdquo; he said, including repeated vandalism to the Reform synagogue in Jerusalem he founded in 1985.
Read more:
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/west-bank/2026-09-16/ty-article-magazine/.premium/one-month-and-one-outpost-evacuation-later-qusra-remains-besieged-by-settlers/000001a0-a965-dab0-afb4-f975a4e60000">One Month and One IDF 'Outpost Evacuation' Later,&nbsp;Qusra Remains Besieged by Settlers</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/west-bank/2026-08-18/ty-article/palestinian-american-returns-to-west-bank-house-besieged-by-israeli-settlers/000001a0-139b-dd2f-a1b6-7bdbb75b0000">Palestinian-American Returns to West Bank Home Besieged by Israeli Settlers</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/west-bank/2026-09-14/ty-article/.premium/btselem-israel-running-elimination-project-against-west-bank-palestinians/000001a0-a11c-de76-a1f7-bb5c377a0000">B'Tselem Says Israel Is Implementing a 'Project of Elimination' Against Palestinians in the West Bank</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-security/2026-09-02/ty-article/.premium/idf-dismisses-commander-over-praying-with-settlers-at-west-bank-outpost/000001a0-6103-d8bc-a7b8-e9cfa2c80000">IDF Dismisses Commander Over Praying With Settlers at West Bank Outpost</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2026-09-10/ty-article-magazine/.premium/u-s-rabbis-face-a-challenge-this-high-holy-day-season-how-to-talk-about-israel/000001a0-8c44-dfa9-ada3-ce46a6db0000">American Rabbis Confront a Fraught Question This High Holy Day Season:&nbsp;How to Talk About Israel</a>

'Under siege by settlers:' A Palestinian American on his month trapped in his West Bank home

The intensifying Israeli election campaign encompasses a long list of issues, but at its heart, the results of the vote on October 27 will be “about the transition out of the Netanyahu era,” contended Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent for The Economist, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast. 

Pfeffer said that many have done their best “to be the next Netanyahu,” attempting to project his confidence, authority and leadership, while consciously or unconsciously replicating the current prime minister’s style. The front-runner, former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, he noted, has a “big advantage is that he’s the first ‘wannabe Bibi’ who is not a ‘wannabe Bibi’” in looks and behavior. 

Pfeffer returned to Haaretz for the podcast, where he worked as a correspondent and columnist for over 25 years and continues to contribute, for a reunion with columnist Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin, with whom he co-hosted the “Election Overdose” podcast during the run-up to the 2022 elections. 

In the first Haaretz Election Podcast since the party lists were finalized on September 8, Scheindlin and Pfeffer assessed the chances of each party and bloc, as well as grappling with the larger issues: most importantly, the legacy of October 7. 

Netanyahu’s newest challenge from the far-right former general Ofer Winter “is saying this election is about October 7, and that’s something that Netanyahu really doesn’t want the election to be about. For him, October 7 is kryptonite,” Pfeffer said. 

But, Scheindlin said, it is inescapable. 

“The sense that there has been no accountability for what happened on October 7 is not a marginal issue,” she emphasized. Israelis whose lives were upended by the events on that day and their aftermath “feel betrayed not only by the government, but by the state itself.” 

Read more:

Israeli Elections Poll Projects Tie Between Blocs as Eisenkot Bloc Slips

Poll: Most Israeli Voters Say October 7 Will Be Main Consideration at Ballot Box

Netanyahu's Likud Seeks to Disqualify Arab Party From 2026 Knesset Election Run

Analysis | Netanyahu's Terrible Tuesday Left Him Almost Unscathed in Election Polls – for Now

Analysis | The Quiet Radicalism of Mansour Abbas and Yoav Segalovitz

The intensifying Israeli election campaign encompasses a long list of issues, but at its heart, the results of the vote on October 27 will be &ldquo;about the transition out of the Netanyahu era,&rdquo; contended Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent for The Economist, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast.&nbsp;
Pfeffer said that many have done their best &ldquo;to be the next Netanyahu,&rdquo; attempting to project his confidence, authority and leadership, while consciously or unconsciously replicating the current prime minister&rsquo;s style. The front-runner, former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, he noted, has a &ldquo;big advantage is that he&rsquo;s the first &lsquo;wannabe Bibi&rsquo; who is not a &lsquo;wannabe Bibi&rsquo;&rdquo; in looks and behavior.&nbsp;
Pfeffer returned to Haaretz for the podcast, where he worked as a correspondent and columnist for over 25 years and continues to contribute, for a reunion with columnist Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin, with whom he co-hosted the &ldquo;Election Overdose&rdquo; podcast during the run-up to the 2022 elections.&nbsp;
In the first Haaretz Election Podcast since the party lists were finalized on September 8, Scheindlin and Pfeffer assessed the chances of each party and bloc, as well as grappling with the larger issues: most importantly, the legacy of October 7.&nbsp;
Netanyahu&rsquo;s newest challenge from the far-right former general Ofer Winter &ldquo;is saying this election is <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-09-14/ty-article/.premium/poll-most-israeli-voters-say-oct-7-will-be-main-consideration-at-ballot-box/000001a0-9fae-dceb-abe2-bfafd6280000">about October 7</a>, and that&rsquo;s something that Netanyahu really doesn&rsquo;t want the election to be about. For him, October 7 is kryptonite,&rdquo; Pfeffer said.&nbsp;
But, Scheindlin said, it is inescapable.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The sense that there has been no accountability for what happened on October 7 is not a marginal issue,&rdquo; she emphasized. Israelis whose lives were upended by the events on that day and their aftermath &ldquo;feel betrayed not only by the government, but by the state itself.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Read more:
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-09-14/ty-article/.premium/israeli-elections-poll-projects-tie-between-blocs-as-eisenkot-bloc-slips/000001a0-a156-de4d-a3ed-f57620470000">Israeli Elections Poll Projects Tie Between Blocs as Eisenkot Bloc Slips</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-09-14/ty-article/.premium/poll-most-israeli-voters-say-oct-7-will-be-main-consideration-at-ballot-box/000001a0-9fae-dceb-abe2-bfafd6280000">Poll: Most Israeli Voters Say October 7 Will Be Main Consideration at Ballot Box</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-09-14/ty-article/.premium/netanyahus-likud-seeks-to-disqualify-arab-party-from-2026-knesset-election-run/000001a0-a0bc-d878-a7b2-b4bcedc10000">Netanyahu's Likud Seeks to Disqualify Arab Party From 2026 Knesset Election Run</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-politics/2026-09-10/ty-article-magazine/.premium/netanyahus-terrible-tuesday-left-him-almost-unscathed-in-polls-for-now/000001a0-8b16-d9dc-a9a9-8bd696670000">Analysis | Netanyahu's Terrible Tuesday Left Him Almost Unscathed in Election Polls &ndash; for Now</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-09-11/ty-article-magazine/.premium/the-quiet-radicalism-of-mansour-abbas-and-yoav-segalovitz/000001a0-8bdc-dfad-a1aa-bfdefd5a0000">Analysis | The Quiet Radicalism of Mansour Abbas and Yoav Segalovitz</a>

'Bibi or a Wannabibi?': Anshel Pfeffer and Dahlia Scheindlin on what the elections are all about

The stunning triumph of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in a German state election represents a true “challenge to democracy” and has shaken the country’s Jewish community, said author and activist Dr. Ofer Waldman, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast

“It's the first time that a right‑extremist party has had such a landslide victory in Germany,” said Waldman, who heads the Heinrich Boll Foundation office in Tel Aviv. 

Haaretz writer and editor David Issacharoff, who joined Waldman on the podcast for a discussion of the election results, said that state of Saxony-Anhalt, which gave 44 percent of its vote to the controversial AfD party, is populated by voters who “feel abandoned, forgotten, and very isolated,” blaming the state and mainstream parties for their situation and channeling their resentment in an extremist political direction.

This is worsened, both Waldman and Issacharoff said, by the fact that East Germany was not part of the post-Holocaust democracy education push in the West. "Keeping Jewish memory there is a real struggle of individuals in that state, and they're up against real forces of neo‑Nazis,” Issacharoff noted, 

Both commentators pointed to the contrast between the expressed deep worry and concern of the German Jewish community regarding AfD antisemitism, and the resounding “utter silence” coming from the Israeli government – together with comments from Israel’s ambassador in Berlin during the election campaign that highlighted antisemitism on the left, while downplaying the AfD’s positions. 

"When Israel and its representative in Germany focus all the fire towards the left, then they're totally absolving the right from its responsibility for antisemitism. And when the representatives of the Jewish state say that, it matters in Germany," Issacharoff said. 

Waldman added the source of the dissonance was “what is perceived as a mutual enemy” by Israel’s far-right government. 

“The AfD is perceived as the enemy of the Muslim community in Germany and, as such, a possible ally to the current Israeli administration,” Waldman said.

Read more:

German Jews 'Appalled' by Historic AfD Win as Israel Avoids Direct Condemnation

The AfD's Victory Shatters Germany's Illusions of Immunity to the Far Right

Several European States Clarify Settlement Trade Restrictions Depend on EU Action

The Far-right German Party AfD Says It Has Nothing Against Jews. This Book Proves Otherwise

Inside the German pro-Israel Lobby's Campaign to Defund UNRWA

Who Stole All the Holocaust Memorial Stones on Oct. 7, Shaking This Quiet East German Town?

The stunning triumph of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in a German state election represents a true &ldquo;challenge to democracy&rdquo; and has shaken the country&rsquo;s Jewish community, said author and activist Dr. Ofer Waldman, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast
&ldquo;It's the first time that a right‑extremist party has had such a landslide victory in Germany,&rdquo; said Waldman, who heads the Heinrich Boll Foundation office in Tel Aviv.&nbsp;
Haaretz writer and editor David Issacharoff, who joined Waldman on the podcast for a discussion of the election results, said that state of Saxony-Anhalt, which gave 44 percent of its vote to the controversial AfD party, is populated by voters who &ldquo;feel abandoned, forgotten, and very isolated,&rdquo; blaming the state and mainstream parties for their situation and channeling their resentment in an extremist political direction.
This is worsened, both Waldman and Issacharoff said, by the fact that East Germany was not part of the post-Holocaust democracy education push in the West. "Keeping Jewish memory there is a real struggle of individuals in that state, and they're up against real forces of neo‑Nazis,&rdquo; Issacharoff noted,&nbsp;
Both commentators pointed to the contrast between the expressed deep worry and concern of the German Jewish community regarding AfD antisemitism, and the resounding &ldquo;utter silence&rdquo; coming from the Israeli government &ndash; together with comments from Israel&rsquo;s ambassador in Berlin during the election campaign that highlighted antisemitism on the left, while downplaying the AfD&rsquo;s positions.&nbsp;
"When Israel and its representative in Germany focus all the fire towards the left, then they're totally absolving the right from its responsibility for antisemitism. And when the representatives of the Jewish state say that, it matters in Germany," Issacharoff said.&nbsp;
Waldman added the source of the dissonance was &ldquo;what is perceived as a mutual enemy&rdquo; by Israel&rsquo;s far-right government.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The AfD is perceived as the enemy of the Muslim community in Germany and, as such, a possible ally to the current Israeli administration,&rdquo; Waldman said.
Read more:
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/2026-09-07/ty-article/.premium/german-jews-appalled-by-historic-afd-win-as-israel-avoids-direct-condemnation/000001a0-7b36-d7d5-a9fc-7fff9bba0000">German Jews 'Appalled' by Historic AfD Win as Israel Avoids Direct Condemnation</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/2026-09-07/ty-article/.premium/afds-victory-shatters-germanys-illusions-of-immunity-to-the-far-right/000001a0-7bb3-d7d5-a9fc-7fffee500000">The AfD's Victory Shatters Germany's Illusions of Immunity to the Far Right</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-security/2026-09-09/ty-article/.premium/several-european-countries-say-settlement-trade-restrictions-hinge-on-eu-action/000001a0-8590-d487-adea-9fd168820000">Several European States Clarify Settlement Trade Restrictions Depend on EU Action</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/2025-05-19/ty-article-magazine/.premium/the-far-right-german-afd-says-it-has-nothing-against-jews-this-book-proves-otherwise/00000196-e868-dd38-a5fe-fd693cb80000">The Far-right German Party AfD Says It Has Nothing Against Jews. This Book Proves Otherwise</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/2026-07-07/ty-article-magazine/.premium/inside-the-pro-israel-lobbys-campaign-to-cut-germanys-support-for-unrwa/0000019f-3cec-d379-abdf-bffe6f680000">Inside the German pro-Israel Lobby's Campaign to&nbsp;Defund UNRWA</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2024-12-10/ty-article-magazine/.premium/who-stole-all-the-holocaust-memorial-stones-on-oct-7-shaking-this-east-german-town/00000193-b046-d893-aff7-b046b0200000">Who Stole All the Holocaust Memorial Stones on Oct. 7, Shaking This Quiet East German Town?</a>

Ed Sheeran and Macklemore-gate: What happened and what does it mean?

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