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?

Leaders of far-right parties running in the Israeli elections are openly campaigning on platforms that advocate expelling Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank.

On the Haaretz Podcast, senior analyst Esther Solomon and correspondent Linda Dayan discussed the platforms of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and ex-general Ofer Winter, both of whom are wooing voters by attacking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government from the right. 

Ben-Gvir in particular is proudly “promoting a platform for ‘voluntarily‘ expelling Palestinians from every single part from Gaza and the West Bank,” Solomon said. 

Winter included his longtime support for “voluntary emigration” from Gaza in the platform of his new Amcha Israel party, in an effort Solomon described as being designed to appeal to far-right voters dissatisfied with Netanyahu, but “who are a little bit disgusted by some of the crude ways that Ben-Gvir operates. They like their candidates to look a bit nicer.” 

Dayan, who recently attended a Winter campaign event aimed at English-speaking voters, said that Winter’s party’s positions articulated by the candidates on his list and their supporters are “a profoundly bizarre rejection of reality.” 

Together with host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Solomon and Dayan assessed the state of the race, which is increasingly shaping up into a likely deadlock, with neither the pro-Netanyahu nor the (Jewish, Zionist) anti-Netanyahu bloc coming close to achieving a 61-seat majority, according to the polls. 

Read more: 

Israel Election Poll: Eisenkot Bloc Continues Slump as Netanyahu's Coalition Gains Ground

Countdown to Election Day: A Road Trip Through a Country Deciding Its Future

America's Right Is Tired of Israel and Jews. NatCon Jerusalem Confirms It

This Leader of a Small, Far-Right Party Wants Netanyahu Fans to Take a Chance on Him

Leaders of far-right parties running in the Israeli elections are openly campaigning on platforms that advocate expelling Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank.
On the Haaretz Podcast, senior analyst Esther Solomon and correspondent Linda Dayan discussed the platforms of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and ex-general Ofer Winter, both of whom are wooing voters by attacking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&rsquo;s government from the right.&nbsp;
Ben-Gvir in particular is proudly &ldquo;promoting a platform for &lsquo;voluntarily&lsquo; expelling Palestinians from every single part from Gaza and the West Bank,&rdquo; Solomon said.&nbsp;
Winter included his longtime support for &ldquo;voluntary emigration&rdquo; from Gaza in the platform of his new Amcha Israel party, in an effort Solomon described as being designed to appeal to far-right voters dissatisfied with Netanyahu, but &ldquo;who are a little bit disgusted by some of the crude ways that Ben-Gvir operates. They like their candidates to look a bit nicer.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Dayan, who recently attended a Winter campaign event aimed at English-speaking voters, said that Winter&rsquo;s party&rsquo;s positions articulated by the candidates on his list and their supporters are &ldquo;a profoundly bizarre rejection of reality.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Together with host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Solomon and Dayan assessed the state of the race, which is increasingly shaping up into a likely deadlock, with neither the pro-Netanyahu nor the (Jewish, Zionist) anti-Netanyahu bloc coming close to achieving a 61-seat majority, according to the polls.&nbsp;
Read more:&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-10-11/ty-article/israel-election-poll-eisenkot-bloc-continues-slump-as-coalition-gains-ground/000001a1-2c63-d7a5-a7b1-be7397560000">Israel Election Poll: Eisenkot Bloc Continues Slump as Netanyahu's Coalition Gains Ground</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-09-11/ty-article-timeline/.premium/countdown-to-election-day-a-road-trip-through-a-country-deciding-its-future/000001a0-8bde-d9dc-a9a9-8bde35d50000">Countdown to Election Day: A Road Trip Through a Country Deciding Its Future</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-politics/2026-10-08/ty-article-magazine/.premium/americas-right-is-tired-of-israel-and-jews-natcon-jerusalem-confirms-it/000001a1-1b39-dfad-adff-fb3ba99d0000">America's Right Is Tired of Israel and Jews. NatCon Jerusalem Confirms It</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-10-06/ty-article-magazine/.premium/leader-of-small-far-right-party-wants-netanyahu-fans-to-take-a-chance-on-him/000001a1-1170-dff8-a7fb-3d7240800000">This Leader of a Small, Far-Right Party Wants Netanyahu Fans to Take a Chance on Him</a>

'The most AI'd campaign the world has ever seen': The Israeli far right has a Palestinian emigration fantasy

The decision by Israel’s top generals and intelligence chiefs not to put the IDF on high alert in the hours before October 7 was “the worst gamble in Israeli military history,” according to senior defense analyst Amos Harel, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast on the third anniversary of the attack by Hamas on southern Israel. 

“They terribly, tragically underestimated both Hamas’ capabilities and its actual intentions that night,” Harel said. 

Harel is the author of “6:29: Anatomy of a Failure,” the first and most complete account of the chain of mistakes by the country’s top military and political echelons leading up to the devastating events of that day.

On the podcast, Harel recounts the military and political mistakes that were made, pinning them on “arrogance” and a “condescending” misreading of Hamas’ capabilities and determination – and how their failures have shaken Israeli citizen’s belief that they are “in safe hands.” 

“We have the best air force in the region, one of the best in the world. We have the technology. We have the operational understanding, and so on, and yet we were taken by complete surprise,” he noted. 

Harel also discusses the legacy of October 7, including how it is shaping Israel’s upcoming election, and the narrative crafted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that has allowed him to maintain political viability as he runs a campaign that exploits fears of a repeat of the disaster, all while  blocking the formation of an October 7 commission of inquiry or any other comprehensive investigation, and fanning the flames of conspiracy theories.

Netanyahu, he said, is “fighting for his life by any means necessary. Everything is worth it in order to maintain power and stay out of jail.”

Read more:

Analysis by Amos Harel | Three Years After Hamas Attacked on October 7, Israel Has Yet to Start Reckoning With Its Failures

October 7: How Hamas Attacked Israel, Minute by Minute

Protests Across Israel Mark Third Anniversary of October 7

Israel's October 7 Leaders Mourned the Dead – and Celebrated Their Own Survival

Op-ed | My Mother Was a Peace Activist Killed on October 7. Don't Use Her Name to Justify Mass Killing

The decision by Israel&rsquo;s top generals and intelligence chiefs not to put the IDF on high alert in the hours before October 7 was &ldquo;the worst gamble in Israeli military history,&rdquo; according to senior defense analyst Amos Harel, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast on the third anniversary of the attack by Hamas on southern Israel.&nbsp;
&ldquo;They terribly, tragically underestimated both Hamas&rsquo; capabilities and its actual intentions that night,&rdquo; Harel said.&nbsp;
Harel is the author of &ldquo;6:29: Anatomy of a Failure,&rdquo; the first and most complete account of the chain of mistakes by the country&rsquo;s top military and political echelons leading up to the devastating events of that day.
On the podcast, Harel recounts the military and political mistakes that were made, pinning them on &ldquo;arrogance&rdquo; and a &ldquo;condescending&rdquo; misreading of Hamas&rsquo; capabilities and determination &ndash; and how their failures have shaken Israeli citizen&rsquo;s belief that they are &ldquo;in safe hands.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;We have the best air force in the region, one of the best in the world. We have the technology. We have the operational understanding, and so on, and yet we were taken by complete surprise,&rdquo; he noted.&nbsp;
Harel also discusses the legacy of October 7, including how it is shaping Israel&rsquo;s upcoming election, and the narrative crafted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that has allowed him to maintain political viability as he runs a campaign that exploits fears of a repeat of the disaster, all while&nbsp; blocking the formation of an October 7 commission of inquiry or any other comprehensive investigation, and fanning the flames of conspiracy theories.
Netanyahu, he said, is &ldquo;fighting for his life by any means necessary. Everything is worth it in order to maintain power and stay out of jail.&rdquo;
Read more:
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-security/2026-10-07/ty-article/.premium/three-years-after-october-7-israel-has-yet-to-start-reckoning-with-its-failures/000001a1-12c3-dd49-a5ff-d2d3156c0000">Analysis by Amos Harel | Three Years After Hamas Attacked on October 7, Israel Has Yet to Start Reckoning With Its Failures</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-04-18/ty-article-static/.premium/what-happened-on-oct-7/0000018e-c1b7-dc93-adce-eff753020000">October 7: How Hamas Attacked Israel, Minute by Minute</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-politics/2026-10-07/ty-article/.premium/protests-across-israel-mark-third-anniversary-of-october-7/000001a1-147a-dd49-a5ff-d6fabcf60000">Protests Across Israel Mark Third Anniversary of October 7</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-politics/2026-10-06/ty-article/.premium/october-7-culprits-sit-ashen-faced-but-inwardly-celebrate-their-own-survival/000001a1-0d81-dbcb-a5e9-afd5a58e0000">Israel's October 7 Leaders Mourned the Dead &ndash; and Celebrated Their Own Survival</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2026-10-07/ty-article-opinion/.premium/my-mother-was-a-peace-activist-killed-on-october-7-dont-use-her-to-justify-war/000001a1-1279-d88d-aba1-defb5c3f0000">Op-ed | My Mother Was a Peace Activist Killed on October 7. Don't Use Her Name to Justify Mass Killing</a>

'The worst gamble in Israeli military history': Amos Harel on the failures of October 7

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu handling of the crisis after the Flydubai attack demonstrated his “facility at dominating the news cycle and setting the agenda of the debate” in the crucial weeks ahead of the October 27 Israeli election, said Haaretz columnist Joshua Leifer, speaking on the Haaretz Election Podcast. 


Netanyahu skillfully and quickly took the spotlight, basking in the reflected glory of the heroic pilot and passengers who saved the plane, while evading responsibility for the security failures as he did post-October 7. By doing so, he put his election rivals in a lose-lose position, Leifer noted. 


If his rivals for power publicly acknowledged that “we're living in a dangerous neighborhood and we have to step things up, then you know they end up backing him,” Leifer said. “But if the opposition comes out and starts blaming Netanyahu” for the oversights and negligence that led to the near-disaster, “they come out looking like they’re spoiling the party and they’re not loyal.”


Leifer’s fellow Election Podcast panelist Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin agreed and said given the situation, it is “smarter” for the opposition to “sit back and let the facts come out” in the media rather than go on the offensive. 


On the podcast, Leifer and Scheindlin joined host Allison Kaplan Sommer to discuss flydubai, along with the impact of the commemoration of three years since October 7 on the campaign, dueling interpretations of the current polls, and the Netanyahu opposition’s “horrifically mismanaged” campaign.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu handling of the crisis after the Flydubai attack demonstrated his &ldquo;facility at dominating the news cycle and setting the agenda of the debate&rdquo; in the crucial weeks ahead of the October 27 Israeli election, said Haaretz columnist Joshua Leifer, speaking on the Haaretz Election Podcast.&nbsp;
 Netanyahu skillfully and quickly took the spotlight, basking in the reflected glory of the heroic pilot and passengers who saved the plane, while evading responsibility for the security failures as he did post-October 7. By doing so, he put his election rivals in a lose-lose position, Leifer noted.&nbsp;
 If his rivals for power publicly acknowledged that &ldquo;we're living in a dangerous neighborhood and we have to step things up, then you know they end up backing him,&rdquo; Leifer said. &ldquo;But if the opposition comes out and starts blaming Netanyahu&rdquo; for the oversights and negligence that led to the near-disaster, &ldquo;they come out looking like they&rsquo;re spoiling the party and they&rsquo;re not loyal.&rdquo;
 Leifer&rsquo;s fellow Election Podcast panelist Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin agreed and said given the situation, it is &ldquo;smarter&rdquo; for the opposition to &ldquo;sit back and let the facts come out&rdquo; in the media rather than go on the offensive.&nbsp;
 On the podcast, Leifer and Scheindlin joined host Allison Kaplan Sommer to discuss flydubai, along with the impact of the commemoration of three years since October 7 on the campaign, dueling interpretations of the current polls, and the Netanyahu opposition&rsquo;s &ldquo;horrifically mismanaged&rdquo; campaign.

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

Haaretz Podcast

In 1 playlist(s)

Haaretz Podcast

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips