Ed Sheeran should have never booked Macklemore to begin with

Pop star Ed Sheeran has really been going through it. One of the opening acts on his current U.S. tour uncorked a political rant during a recent show in New Jersey, sparking a firestorm that has raged for days. Macklemore, who was once a star, told the crowd, “I say free Palestine. I say free Lebanon, I say free Cuba, I say free Congo, free Sudan, free all people in America living in fear over this terrorist organization, ICE. None of us will be free until we are all free.” Notably, the artist did not appear to mean to free Palestinians from the Hamas terrorists, or “free Lebanon” from the Hezbollah terrorists, or “free Cuba” from its repressive Communist regime. He simply unleashed a string of left-wing slogans, including the absurd framing of federal agents as members of a “terrorist organization,” because that’s who he is. More on that below. But the reaction to all of this has been volcanic. Some in the crowd applauded this nonsense, while others fell silent. Still others seethed and rained down catcalls. Owners of some of the stadiums on the tour, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, made clear that they would not permit their venues to be used as a platform for Macklemore. The rapper was therefore booted from the tour. This triggered a solidarity-minded exodus of all of Sheeran’s opening acts, as well as the house band. Anti-Israel forces declared the situation an attack on free speech and expression, even though many of them eagerly support boycotts and speech suppression against anyone they deem to be a “Zionist,” a term they throw about as an epithet.Sheeran attempted to defuse the situation by publishing a lengthy statement in which he explained that he avoids politics as an artist because he doesn’t want to preach to audiences with diverse viewpoints. An excerpt:"I am appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy. … 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 the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living. I have always used my platform and music to bring people from all backgrounds and cultures together and this won't ever change. Those who have been to one of my shows will know that they are about unity, joy, escapism, love, and a place for everyone to feel welcome. I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn't mean I don't have them, and it doesn't mean I don't care. Nor does it mean I don't support causes in my own, personal way. There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics - my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds. Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum.” This proved enraging to the Gaza obsessives, who shrieked their “genocide” lies even louder. Endlessly chanting that word, as a means of claiming a false moral high ground, has been repeatedly exploited as an excuse for some of the most egregious behavior imaginable.For the record, there is not, and has not been, a genocide in Gaza. There has been a war, started by Hamas, that has tragically killed tens of thousands of people. Even based on the terrorist organization’s own statistics, the civilian-to-combatant death ratio has been remarkably and historically low, despite Hamas’s evil policy of embedding its terrorists and operations inside civilian neighborhoods, hospitals, mosques, and schools. Israel routinely issues warnings to civilians to evacuate certain areas and buildings, depriving its own military of the element of surprise, in order to prevent unnecessary deaths. It has also shipped massive quantities of medical and food assistance into Gaza, which is the opposite of what genuine genocidiers tend to do (the alleged Gaza “famine” claim that was constantly amplified has also been empirically debunked).The furious backlash from anti-Israel-First fanatics has not subsided, with music stations announcing bans on Sheeran’s music, and politicians such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) proclaiming that she’ll avoid his work, citing the “genocide” smear as a fraudulent justification. Some prominent voices have defended Sheeran to an extent, but his neutrality didn’t engender much passion, even though political neutrality is what many people actually crave from entertainers. At his show in Philadelphia over the weekend, Sheeran mounted a do-over effort. Appearing to read from a prepared script, the musician addressed the controversy. He said, in part:“My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone, and that matters hugely to me. … I want to address the question of where I stand in the situation in Israel and Palestine, and whether my doing this concert here tonight implies where I stand. I have tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind, because I want my music and shows to be about unity, not division; about humanity, not politics. But this is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore. What happened in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, of children’s lives. … I honestly am so grateful that you’re here tonight with me. This concert is still a place where everyone is welcome, and everyone here can stand beside people that have opposing views, and everyone here can stand aside people that they don’t agree with on everything, but they can all agree on singing these songs. And these songs are about love, hope, and unity.” In this Nov. 20, 2012, photo, American musician Ben Haggerty, better known by his stage name Macklemore, right, and his producer Ryan Lewis pose for a portrait at Irving Plaza in New York. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Invision/AP) Some Israel supporters aren’t pleased with his assertion that the Hamas-initiated war has resulted in “disproportionate” devastation. The “genocide” crowd is livid that he acknowledged the Oct. 7 terrorist massacre of nearly 1,200 people, which was the horrific catalyst for this war. These people either affirmatively support that mass murder, or they view it as a verboten inconvenience for their scapegoating propaganda. It is to his credit that Sheeran mentioned the Nova festival, which so many cowardly or ignorant artists have ignored. It must also be noted that one of the loudest applause lines from his brief speech came immediately after his explanation that he’s always seen his shows as moments for “humanity, not politics.” For all the shouting and frenetic online discourse, “please just entertain us, and leave everything else at the door” is a mainstream — and likely majority — view. People caught in the crosshairs of these cultural kerfuffles would be well served to remember that.In the end, Sheeran’s real mistake was booking Macklemore in the first place. This is not merely some quasi-celebrity who spouts ignorant and morally backward taglines about a foreign conflict. He is a bona fide conspiracy theorist who claimed President George W. Bush knocked down the twin towers on 9/11, and an overt bigot who famously wore a prosthetic nose as part of what was clearly a “Jewish” costume. He did so onstage, then appeared to give a Nazi salute (he later insisted he didn’t understand the significance of his costume). THE FED JUST ENDED WASHINGTON’S CHEAP MONEY ERAThis is not a relatively benign “anti-Zionist,” pro-Palestinian activist. He is something much uglier. Indeed, his most recent “hit,” if you can call it that, was a tribute to the lawless pro-Hamas mob that illegally stormed, occupied, and damaged a building at Columbia University, temporarily taking custodians hostage in the process. Sheeran should have done better vetting before allowing this scorpion into his orbit. Failure to do so created this nightmare he’s been trying to navigate. All of this could have been avoided by rejecting the inclusion of an unreformed bigot into his performing entourage in the first place. The pro-Palestinian movement is comprised of some of the very worst, most emotionally dysregulated people our society has to offer. Unless you’re all in for their demented cause, be prepared to brace for whatever impact may be visited upon you if they suddenly decide you’re an enemy. People can plan accordingly, or learn the hard way.