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.