“I am appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy,” begins Sheeran in an Instagram post. “There are too many wars across the world causing immeasurable pain, none of which should be tolerated.” The post continues on another slide, “Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine. Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me. I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living.”
Sheeran goes on to say that he chooses to have an apolitical show because “my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds. Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum.” Though he claims to “respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes,” Sheeran says that he chooses “to use my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed.” He adds, “There are different approaches to being an advocate for change.” He closes on a classic, saying that those who “know my heart and know my values” know who he really is.
Sheeran and his team seem to know that this statement is going to displease many people, given the comments on the post are pre-emptively turned off. The musician was already the subject of a decent deal of backlash before this. In one especially viral statement, Sheeran was called out by children’s entertainer Ms. Rachel, who has been outspoken in support of Palestine for years. In one post yesterday, she wrote, “Imagine looking back 20 years from now at yourself kicking someone off a tour because they spoke out during a genocide that has killed over 20,000 kids.”
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