Macklemore to donate $1m to Palestinian charities

US rapper Macklemore has said he will donate his net earnings from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour, $1 million (€872,000), to charities supporting Palestinian people.

The donation comes after the musician was dropped as a supporting act over comments he made about Gaza.

Since then, all of Sheeran’s Loop Tour supporting acts, including Irish singer Aaron Rowe, Grammy-winning musician Finneas, Danish singer Lukas Graham and his Irish backing band Beoga, have dropped out of the remaining dates.

In a post on Instagram, Macklemore, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, said: "With everything that has happened over the last 48 hours, I want to bring the conversation back to where it belongs: to the Palestinian people who are still being killed, still living under military occupation, and still fighting for their freedom.

"I will be donating the entire 1 million (dollars) of my net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organisations working directly to support the Palestinian people."

On Monday, the rapper claimed that Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns the Gillette Stadium, had contacted Sheeran and told him they would not be able to play unless he was removed from the tour.

He invited the US businessman to match his donations, adding that "whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting. A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth".

"Aid alone cannot address the conditions that make it necessary. This is a manmade injustice and I believe it requires immediate political change.

"Palestinians have lived for decades without basic rights and should not have to wait another day to be free. This is where my focus will remain," he said.

The rapper announced he would donate to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA USA and American Near East Refugee Aid.

On Tuesday, Mr Sheeran said on social media that Macklemore’s departure from the tour was the promoter’s decision and not his.

He said that "upcoming tour dates had communicated that they would pull the shows if he was still supporting", and added that Mr Kraft was among them.

The singer added, "I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict."

Mr Sheeran said he was "appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine" and added that he respected Macklemore "as an artist".

In a statement shared by Mr Kraft, the businessman said his decision to ban the US rapper following his comments made on stage was due to a "broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community".

Mr Sheeran’s next performance is scheduled for 19 September at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, where Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe had been due to open for him.

He has 17 dates still left on the tour across North and South America, with the final show scheduled for 11 December in Mexico City.