Robert Kraft Responds to Macklemore’s Challenge to Match $1 Million Donation to Palestinian Groups

Not long after Macklemore challenged Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft to match his $1 million donation to organizations supporting the Palestinian people, the billionaire has responded by saying Ed Sheeran previously asked him to “commit” $2 million “to match his donation to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis.”

“I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people,” Kraft wrote in a statement released Wednesday (Sept. 16). “I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting. Earlier today, before Macklemore challenged me to match his donation, Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis. Ed now plans to reach out to other venue owners and our goal is to continue to work together to build bridges.

“In addition, I’d like the people who are speaking in support of the Palestinian people to know that for decades, I have supported efforts that create opportunity for Palestinians and have brought young Palestinians and Israelis together to build businesses, create jobs, and forge relationships.”

Notably, Kraft did not specify if, or when, he would be committing the money, or which organization or organizationss would be the beneficiaries of the funds. For his part, Macklemore said he would donate the $1 million, representing his net earnings from Sheeran’s tour, to six organizations supporting Palestinians: Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, the UNRWA USA National Committee and Anera.

A representative for Kraft’s company, The Kraft Group, did not immediately return Billboard‘s request for clarification on whether, and where, Kraft would be committing those funds.

Macklemore’s challenge followed the rapper’s removal as an opener on Sheeran’s Loop Tour in the U.S. due to statements he made in support of Palestinians at Sheeran’s tour stops at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on Sept. 4 and 5. His comments, which included the phrase “Free Palestine,” were accompanied by a performance of Macklemore’s 2024 track “Hind’s Hall” — which accuses the Israeli government of committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza — alongside images of the violence. Notably, the United Nations has also classified Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, though Israel and its close ally the U.S. have denied this. Gaza’s Health Ministry has reported that more than 73,000 Palestinians have died from repeated Israeli strikes as of July, while countless others have faced displacement, homelessness and hunger.

On Monday (Sept. 14), the Loop Tour’s U.S. promoter, Messina Touring Group, released a statement announcing that Macklemore had indeed been removed from the lineup. “We have been notified by venues on the upcoming U.S. tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans,” the statement read. “After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.”

When Macklemore addressed his removal from the tour later that day, he alleged that Kraft had threatened to cancel Sheeran’s upcoming shows at Gillette Stadium unless Macklemore was dropped from the bill. The rapper further claimed that Kraft had “rallied” owners of other stadiums on the trek and that Sheeran had been given an “ultimatum” that he would not be permitted to play in their venues unless Macklemore got the boot.

On Tuesday (Sept. 15), Kraft responded with a statement claiming Macklemore had “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community,” and that to allow him to perform at Gillette Stadium “would cross [a] line.”

Later on Tuesday, Sheeran released his own statement, in which he claimed that Macklemore’s removal from the tour had been the “venue’s and promoter’s decision,” and that he had spent that last week “trying to build bridges” by speaking with the stadiums along with “activists on both sides.” He added, “However, there is room for multiple approaches to the same end: peace. I choose to use my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed.”

In the wake of the controversy, all of the remaining opening acts on Sheeran’s tour, including Aaron Rowe, Finneas and Lukas Graham, dropped out of the trek and posted statements in support of Macklemore’s support of Palestinians.