Ed Sheeran/Macklemore

[WallyHilloughby]

what are your thoughts on this whole debacle?
quite frankly I’m sick and tired of artists using concerts etc as some political forum

It won't make a difference. they don't care.

I'm staunchly pro Palestinian. I am not anti semitic though and I am very disturbed by those photos. I have to admit I had never heard of Macklemore before this so know nothing about him really.

Incorrect.
Ed Sheeran and Macklemore have been friends for years, Ed is well aware of his stance on Gaza.
Same as he is very aware of his backing bands, Beoga’s, full support for Palestine, given that they were the founding members of Irish Artists for Palestine.

Can't believe @marlboro's post was taken down, it was spot on

Sadly it has become increasingly evident over the past few years that for many being pro Palestinian comes with a massive side order of good old fashioned antisemitism.

I live in London and have seen the marches up close on several occasions. From my observations they mostly consist, unsurprisingly, of people from Muslim backgrounds, left-wing / anti-war activists / Socialist worker / trade unions / students / school kids / MPs and the odd celeb etc. For the most part, they were colourful, loud and good natured but there was also some sizeable pockets of very questionable chanting and placards on display. When you see/hear people chanting “Khaybar, Khaybar ya Yahud” of “Globalise the intifada” / “Intifada revolution” there is certain whiff of good old fashioned jew hate on show rather then just criticism of the Israeli state and its actions. I have several Jewish work colleagues and friends and to a person they have all experienced a massive uptick of verbal abuse on the street. I used to think it was a few wingnut bad apples so to speak but I am less sure of that now as far too many people have just been emboldened to remove their filters and show off what they really think and it is very ugly.

Why?

I think you are also complaining about people who do want a break? Most people can't live in an endless heightened stream of anxiety about wars and climate change and the cost of living crisis. It's totally legitimate to need and want a break from being terrified and horrified. It's also totally legitimate (and I can respect the choice) to only be thinking of all these horrible things all day, every day and doing all you can to change the world.

Genuinely curious what this looks like for you though if you never want a break. Volunteering overseas? Reading lots of news articles? Chatting on the internet to people who agree or don't agree with you? I cannot imagine keeping up this level of intensity day in and day out. I've been involved on and off with a variety of political issues but I do still watch crap telly and go out for a drink with my friends in between. I just can't keep it up 24/7.

I run a charity and assist with 2 others. Not for Palestine but for women’s rights causes.
have you ever heard the phrase know your audience and time and place? I think it applies to the pp

100% supportive of Macklemore et al withdrawing from the tour.

I'm in Ireland, I don't recognise this at all. On the other hand I find a lot of apologists for Israel give off a strong sense that they care very little about the persistent, well evidenced, long term and significant Israeli war crimes and human rights abuse against Palestinians that are the cause if these protests.

So? It wouldn’t have been acceptable back in 2014 either (as the news coverage shows).

People are also saying ‘he apologised’…. but he didn’t. He said ‘sorry you thought I looked like a hugely antisemitic caricature, whoops I didn’t mean to’

Anyone with eyes can look at the photos and determine his fauxpology is bollocks.

He doesn't have to do that - he is entitled to remain neutral if he wants to. Why pressurise him to "pick a side" when he knows that whatever he says risks upsetting some of his fans.

He's a musician not a spokesman for conflicts in the Middle East.

Can confirm that racism and antisemitism were as unacceptable in 2014 as they are today. In fact, I'm shocked that he was allowed to get away with it then and not cancelled for being a massive antisemite.

21,000+ children dead including Hind.

Yes something has to be said

No whataboutism crap enough is enough ffs

Good for you. Not being sarcastic, it's good to hear a pro Palestinian person who has the moral compass to say - these photos are disturbing.

I'd never heard of Mackelmore, but the photos of him dressed up as an offensive stereotype tell me all I need to know about him. I'm really, really surprised anyone can defend him after seeing those.

It’s straight up anti-Semitic. Does he do blackface, and woman face parody next? Black boot polish, and melons for boobs (with male genitals unashamedly all a quiver). I’m just wondering, as that (to me) appears to simply be dupers delight at hiding pure, seething, hate under a pretend mantle of ‘righteousness’.

They are very disturbing because I do not see how they can really be a random collection of clothing as he claimed. They look very directly anti semitic

Yes they do look very directly anti semitic, there can be no doubt about it really.

But some pro Palestinian people on here are ignoring the problem - it's Ed Sheeran they have an issue with (who is trying to remain neutral) not Macklemore.

People like this need to be called out on their antisemitism which in this case takes the form of dressing up as a cartoon Jew complete with massive nose. That is not ok and I respect those on the pro Palestinian side who are prepared to say that.

Well you cant be looking very hard. Im Irish myself (been living in London for best part of 20 years) and travel back there to see my family regularly. Irish support for Palestinians and criticism of the Israeli government is exceptionally strong by Western European standards and that definitely spills over into casual antisemitism. There has been a significant documented rise in antisemitic incidents in Ireland since Oct 7 as well as proposals to rename Dublin's Herzog Park. I guess many Irish people interpret Palestine through Ireland's own narratives of colonial rule, dispossession, partition and national liberation as well as having strong UN peacekeeping history in Lebanon. Either way there is a very noticeable different vibe in Ireland on this issue.

My daughter and I were at an international competition in Dublin over the summer. Participants from all over the world. I happened to be in the room when an Israeli girl won first and they played the Israeli national anthem. People actually booed a child. I went up to say Mazel Tov after and the mother burst into tears and said they'd been harassed on the street everywhere they went in their uniform (each country had a uniform like the Olympics) and ended up just never wearing it outside. I actually think the same thing would have happened here in Scotland but it was horrible and not surprising at all to hear that people were harassing a child in the streets.

this reflects the facebook posts of my Irish friends. It’s not even subtle, it’s blatant in your face unapologetic antisemitism.

Well, apologists differ depending on their preferred opinions. People with entrenched opinions don’t usually give any recognition or credence to those who hold the opposite opinion. Alan Shatter (former FG Justice Minister) has voiced concern over the environment for Jewish people in Ireland, asserting that intense pro-Palestinian activism and demonstrations have created a toxic and unsafe atmosphere. He says that there is a lot of virtue signalling and gesture, which lends precious little to any resolution of the conflict. Paraphrased.

Of course, Irish anti-semitism is not new. A century ago, there was the Limerick Boycott (also called Limerick Pogrom). That was a sort of boycott/ attack on Jewish businesses, movement led by a Catholic priest. There was some violence, although nothing like in Eastern Europe/Russia. Most politicians didn’t condemn it, except Michael Davitt and John Redmond (to their credit). I hope this is not a new guise under which to make an hostile climate for any current Irish Jewish population, or damage their businesses or livelihood.

I think that 'free Palestine' is the correct take.

I think Ed Sheeran is an absolute wet blanket who has rolled over for the money.

I think that Kraft are evil.

I think that Macklemore was antisemitic when he dressed up in Jewish caricature.

All those things can be true at the same time.

I am very very proud of the Irish response. Israel and its apologists have a very conscious strategy to use the smear of anti semitism to distract people from their indefensible actions against the Palestinians . My views are not rooted in Irish history. They are rooted in reading and researching what is happening in Israel. I was also active in anti apartheid in the past. I have protested US and Chinese actions in the past also. As a state which is deemed to be democratic, which is traded with, supported with arms and finances, the state of Israel is clearly one those who support human rights should target their protests at in the current world. As South Africa was in the past. So is Israel now. But perhaps even worse in some respects.