Rapper Macklemore has announced three “Free Palestine” concerts scheduled for Dublin on Oct. 26, Paris on Oct. 29 and London on Oct. 30. According to the tour website, proceeds will go to one of 12 organizations, among them the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM).
The announcement has drawn objections from Jewish organizations over statements attributed to PYM and questions about how concert beneficiaries are selected. The source report says Macklemore announced the tour after being removed from Ed Sheeran’s “Loop Tour” following his calls for a “Free Palestine” and a performance of his song “Hind’s Hall.”
The Jewish News Syndicate reported that PYM’s U.K. chapter had been accused of defending Hamas’ actions during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, describing them as “legitimate” and “effective.” The attack resulted in about 1,200 deaths and 251 people being taken hostage, according to the supplied report.
The report also recounts a speech by a woman identified as a PYM speaker at a protest outside the Israeli consulate in New York days after the attack. She praised what she called a “glorious victory of the resistance” and referred to those killed as “martyrs.” The source presents the remarks as evidence cited by critics of PYM.
The U.K.-based Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) urged organizers to scrutinize the groups receiving proceeds and address the safety of Jewish people. In a statement to Fox News Digital, the council said PYM’s reported praise for young people joining armed factions and its reported description of the Oct. 7 attack as a “prison break” could legitimize violence against Jews. It called on Live Nation to explain its safeguards for Jewish audiences and employees and to identify who would receive the money.
The Israeli-American Council (IAC), which had previously called for Macklemore’s removal from Sheeran’s tour, said the new concerts reinforced its earlier concerns. The group said its objection was not to support for Palestinians, but to rhetoric it characterized as antisemitic and dismissive of the suffering of Jews and Israelis. It also urged Live Nation and concert organizers to disclose their vetting process and ensure proceeds do not benefit organizations that justify violence against civilians.
Fox News Digital said it requested comment from Macklemore’s representatives and PYM. It also contacted Live Nation, which had not responded by the time of publication. The supplied report does not include responses from those parties.
Separately, Macklemore said last month on Instagram that he would donate the $1 million he earned from Sheeran’s tour to six organizations. The listed recipients were Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, the UNRWA USA National Committee and American Near East Refugee Aid. The tour website’s list of 12 potential beneficiaries is separate from those six organizations.
