To feel sorry for Ed Sheeran.....

Not really no. We all know he wants a Free Palestine, he's on film chanting it at a Kneecap concert. The backlash I have seen is because he hasn't got the balls to support his friend when he does the same.

Really emphasises the hyper focus on Palestine, when someone manages to miss how the Iranian government has been treating their own people over the last year (and in the decades before that).

Tens of thousands of protesters slaughtered during the uprising last winter and regular executions going on until today, but who would the Iranian people possibly want to be freed from.

If the conflict in Gaza didn’t involve Israel, then I believe the left wouldn’t be up in arms over it. Because they are full of antisemites. That’s why they aren’t out protesting about any of the other conflicts.

Maybe he doesn't want to upset his Jewish fans by having it chanted at his concert? It's conceivable that some might be?
Are Jewish people allowed to be offended?
Is Ed allowed to not want to offend Jewish people?

You are being selective in what you notice if you don't notice that Ed is getting a lot of flack for not speaking out against Israel.

Examples just on pages 1 & 2 of this thread:

“if you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor”.

Sheeran could afford to stand up for free speech and for Palestinian people, but he chose not to... it would have been nice to see some moral courage on show from someone who could retire tomorrow and be set for life.

There’s a genocide going on and he has a platform. “We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

What you are referring to are the conclusions of one UN commission of enquiry, not the UN as a whole.

This, and it’s also worth mentioning that the commission of enquiry consists of three members, so is hardly “The UN”.

So many people latch onto the findings though and repeat the line about "the UN calls it a genocide" ... no they don't.

Rather than use the term "alleged genocide" people prefer to think they know it is one for a fact. When even an international court of law still has to come to a decision on it (& likely won't decide for years) as it's such a complex issue.

There is one thing about Palestine that makes it unique over all the other conflicts. It is the hypocrisy of our Western governments. Our governments are not supporting, both financially and diplomatically, any other country that is trying to ethnically cleanse an indigenous people from their land. Russia has been called out and sanctioned by the West. Myanmar has been called out and sanctioned by the West. Even China has been called out and sanctioned although I personally feel there should be more pressure. Iran has been sanctioned. If I were to make a post about how awful the Rohingya genocide was on here, it would simply be an echo chamber with no one trying to defend the actions of the Military Junta. As I said on another thread, in a democracy, when an elected government fails to act on an issue and goes against the wishes of the electorate, the electorate has a civic duty, not just a right, to make their objections known and protest. Perhaps if our governments were to sanction Israel in the same way they sanctioned South Africa for their apartheid policies, the protests would not need to be so vociferous. I believe the only hope the Palestinians have for justice is that enough pressure will be brought to bear on our governments that they will have to act against Israel as was the case with South Africa. The UK would not have imposed sanctions on the West Bank if it hadn’t been for public pressure. Although performative, it is at least a start.

In a word yes. Turned down the best deal they were ever offered by Clinton at Camp David. Instead Arafat launched an Intifada. To the young ignoramuses who parade around demanding a "permanent intifada" this means bombing and mowing down civilians with trucks much as they're doing today in places like Berlin. On October 7th Hamas invaded, killed, maimed, raped women they paraded around on trucks and took hostages. They knew what the consequences would be.

What do you mean are Jewish people allowed to be offended?! Honestly the questions here. How would Jewish people not be allowed to be offended? Genuinely, how do you see that working, how do you not allow someone a feeling?

It was Macklemore who wasn't allowed freedom of expression. He was the only person in the scenario who wasn't actually 'allowed' something.

It's not unique at all. We have close diplomatic and military ties with the Saudis, who have killed huge numbers of civilians in Yemen and caused massive epidemics there. Incidentally, they are also an intolerant and oppressive regime (you could even call it apartheid). There is no freedom of worship unless you are the right type of Muslim and obviously there is political persecution and persecution of LGB people. Where's the shouting? The performative chanting at pop concerts? The marches?

But did he really make a decision not to have a political statement? To me it looked like he was declaring his politics( or maybe what politics would best serve him) without coming out and saying anything directly. He knows Mackelmores views and the chances of him not saying something at some point were low imo, and Beoga were involved in setting up Irish Artists for Palestine. So he looked like he was on the right side of history but didnt have to commit to putting himself on the line for it. Then the line was very clearly marked out publicly and he was told to he had to pick one side or the other

Here's the historical background to the treatment of Palestinians in Egypt and Lebanon among others. Why are they not condemned or under the spotlight?
Treatment and Rights in Arab Host States (Right to Return - Human Rights Watch Policy Page) https://share.google/SZIEWlkX0Mf1TXyRI

No mention of Sudan either which is a genocidal regime or China's treatment of Muslims and Tibetans.

He was allowed freedom of expression. He literally got up on a stage and excersized his freedom of expression. The free market then allowed a stadium owner and promoter to excersize their freedom of contract by not extending a contract to him of playing in their venues. Who had anything taken away from them? No one. Everyone used their freedoms accordingly. No one is locked up, or even being charged. No one has even been cancelled.

Macklemore is the most famous he's ever been! Whoop. Maybe he can headline next time in Jewface, and choose not to work with Jewish stadium owners / promoters / whatever. Good luck to him, the silly little racist.

So many celebrities shout Free Palestine. They still tour. The problem with Macklemore is he was doing it as someone who previously wore Jewface. So some people chose not to have him have freedom of expression in their stadiums, on their tours. That's a free market. Don't Jewface, you'll probably be fine.

Go touch some grass. I will too 😊.

Glad to hear you are going to touch some grass, sounds like it would be a good idea!

Macklemore also said ‘free Sudan’ during the same speech

You make so many incorrect assumptions. It is possible to find horror at more than one thing at a time. You appear not to realise that though.

I've no wish for ANY further interactions with your following your disgusting now deleted post. Stop making incorrect assumptions.

Indeed.

Thank you. I do appreciate your unambiguous clarification without bullshit whataboutisms or insincere concerns. Actually you did add those but your initial answer is what I'm concentrating on. I have been trying to get an idea of the zeitgeist of the country and it is refreshing to get a simple answer to the question of whether the Palestinians deserve what is happening to them today. Once again, thank you.

If I was going to an Ed Sheeran concert I wouldn't expect or want to hear someone going on about Palestine or Israel on the stage.

Or Sudan, come to that

If you were going to a Mackelmore gig would you really be surprised if he said something in support of an oppressed group of people? And that in 2026 that group would be Palestinians

By “allowed to be offended” you mean “we’ll take their money and then turn what they thought was a concert into a political event in favour of terrorist groups who want to kill them”, right?

Because it doesn’t matter if Macklemore has convinced himself that it’s just the mean old Israelis attacking the poor innocent Palestinians, the attacks in Manchester, London, Sydney etc show that for many people, it really is about Jews, not just Israel.

And the Jews - and the rest of us - who had paid to see Ed Sheeran, not imagining they were going to be subjected to a self important ignoramus signalling his virtue, it seems to me that by paying for their tickets, they were entitled not to be exposed to that.

Let him show off his trendy progressiveness on his own time.

Macklemore cancelled a gig in UAE as they fund the RSF in Sudan.

LOL how well he knew better than to harangue the concert goers of the UAE from the stage there! No fool he!