Macklemore is No Stranger to Supporting Anti-Israel Behavior
On September 4 & 5 while opening for Ed Sheeran, Macklemore came out on stage in a Kefiyya and went on an anti-Israel rant. On Monday, September 7 he released a video on Social Media where he stated the following: “To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, is in no way a criticism of you.”
Although Macklemore frames his concert demonstrations and subsequent social media statements as routine anti-war advocacy, his reliance on inflammatory rhetoric, selective disclaimers, and history of antisemitic tropes reveals how mainstream artists exploit geopolitical movements, including the 2024 release of the song Hinds Hall Lyrics such as: “If students in tents posted on the lawn. Occupyin’ the quad is really against the law”validates students actions as acceptable behavior, which inflames anti-Israel hostility on college campuses.
For context, Hamilton Hall is an academic building at Columbia University that was raided and locked out by Anti-Israel protestors. It was temporarily renamed “Hinds Hall” after Hind Rajab, a young Palestinian girl who was killed during an attempt by the Israeli Defense Forces to stop an attack from Hamas forces.
Macklemore’s song uplifts a call-to-action for students to behave in a hostile manner while omitting the safety threats that Zionist students faced during the encampments and the takeover of Hamilton Hall in 2024. On-campus activists were filmed chanting “Zionists not allowed here,” “Go back to Poland,” and called for “10,000 October 7s.” Not only was the harassment verbal, Jewish students also reported instances of physical harassment and not being allowed to move freely through campus.
The Columbia Administration, like many across the country, has shown relaxed consequences regarding the encampments.
It’s gotten to the point where even the U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has spoken out in response to the bigotry towards Jewish students on college campuses stating that “This is not protected free speech. This is violating the rights of others.” The behavior in the encampments on my home campus at the University of Utah were no different.
The situation escalated with hundreds of protestors to the point where the school had anti-riot gear police come in and make 17 arrests. Thankfully, this has been the last time an encampment has happened at my university. But that doesn’t necessarily mean students have stopped listening to celebrities they already somewhat agree with.
That’s why it is imperative for Jewish students to develop the skills and courage to speak up when they are threatened, and students thinking about joining future encampments should really think hard about whether their actions are causing more harm than good.
Ed Sheeran later published a statement on Instagram in response to Macklemore being dropped, explaining that his shows are “a place for everyone to feel welcome.” Concerts and universities are supposed to be places for all backgrounds, life-expriences to have fun, grow, and to bring all kinds of people together. Macklemore used his music platform to divide people with his personal beliefs. Why can’t music just be enjoyed anymore?
