Macklemore Announces His Own 'Free Palestine' Tour as Funding Questions Fuel Controversy
A fresh controversy has grown around American rapper Macklemore's upcoming 'Free Palestine' tour. Part of the tour's proceeds is set to go to an organisation called the Palestinian Youth Movement, which has been accused of celebrating the October 7 attacks.
The 43-year-old rapper was dropped from Ed Sheeran's 'Loop Tour' last month. He had repeatedly called for a 'Free Palestine' and performed his anti-Israel song 'Hind's Hall', after which the decision came. Macklemore then announced that he would launch his own tour in response.
According to the announcement, the tour will include three shows: Dublin on October 26, Paris on October 29 and London on October 30. The tour's website says all proceeds will go to one of twelve organisations, a list that includes the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM).
The Jewish News Syndicate reported that the PYM's UK chapter has been accused of defending Hamas's actions during the terror attack three years ago, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 civilians were taken hostage. The organisation reportedly referred to those actions as 'legitimate' and 'effective'.
It was also reported that just days after the original attack, a female speaker from the Palestinian Youth Movement was heard cheering the Hamas attacks at a protest outside the Israeli consulate in New York, speaking of celebrating what she called the glorious victory of the resistance and honouring its martyrs.
Macklemore's representatives and the PYM were approached for comment, though no response from them was reported.
In a comment, the UK-based Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) called for better vetting of Macklemore's charitable organisations and for efforts to protect Jewish citizens. It said that when the Palestinian Youth Movement praises young people joining armed factions and describes the 7 October massacre as a 'prison break', it risks legitimising violence against Jews.
The JLC added that at a time of grave violence and threats against Jewish communities, Live Nation must show how it will protect Jewish audiences and staff from antisemitic incitement and harassment. The PYM's inclusion as a beneficiary raises serious questions about Live Nation's vetting, it said, and a clear account is needed of the checks undertaken, who will ultimately receive the proceeds and what safeguards will prevent the money funding conduct that threatens the safety of Jews.
The Israeli-American Council, which demanded Macklemore's removal from Sheeran's tour last month, said his recent actions reinforce the concerns that led it to launch its petition.
'Our objection was never to his right to support Palestinians,' the group said in a statement. 'It was to the normalization of antisemitic rhetoric that disregards the suffering and humanity of Jews and Israelis.' It praised Robert Kraft and his fellow stadium owners for refusing to give Macklemore a platform, calling it admirable moral leadership.
The group said Live Nation and the concert organisers must now publicly explain their vetting process and ensure that concert proceeds do not benefit organisations that justify violence against innocent civilians. Its message to them remains: 'Your show, your stage, your responsibility.'
In addition to the tour, Macklemore announced on Instagram last month that he would donate the $1 million he earned as part of Sheeran's tour to six organisations: Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF), HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA USA National Committee and American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA).
Altogether, the matter is no longer just about a concert tour announcement. Attention in the coming days will rest on which organisations receive the money, how the promoters vetted them, and what safeguards are in place for audiences and staff.
