Robert Kraft says he and musician Ed Sheeran will donate $2 million to aid organisations working in Gaza, following Macklemore’s pledge to give his earnings from two performances on Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to Palestinian charities.
Macklemore said his donation of $1 million would be intended to refocus attention on Palestinians affected by the conflict. He also challenged Kraft, the owner of Gillette Stadium, to match the contribution, saying Palestinian lives were worth protecting.
According to a statement released through the Gillette Stadium account, Kraft said he had already decided to commit $2 million after Sheeran called him. Kraft said the money would support the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, Heal Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid Palestine, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and Anera.
Kraft said Sheeran planned to contact other venue owners, adding that their goal was to “build bridges”. Kraft also said he had spent decades supporting initiatives that created opportunities for Palestinians and brought young Palestinians and Israelis together to build businesses, jobs and relationships.
The announcement came after Macklemore was dropped from Sheeran’s tour. Sheeran said the decision was made by the tour’s promoters and Kraft, while Kraft said it followed Macklemore’s recent comments and what he called a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that had offended and hurt the Jewish community.
Macklemore and Sheeran have not been reported as jointly announcing the donation beyond Kraft’s statement. The remaining support acts for the tour also withdrew in support of Macklemore, according to ABC News Australia.