Robert Kraft says singer Sheeran asked him to match $2 million aid pledge amid Macklemore beef
Patriots owner who pushed musician to drop rapper from tour over anti-Israel performance says Macklemore later asked him to match $1 million pledge to Palestinian groups, promises to ‘build bridges’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
Musician Ed Sheeran asked New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to match what he said was a $2 million donation for aid to the Middle East, the high-profile businessman and philanthropist said Wednesday. Using social media, Kraft said Sheeran challenged him “to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis,” without specifying which crisis.
Kraft’s statement came amid a high-profile spat over pro-Palestinian rapper Macklemore, who had been slated to open for Sheeran on September 25 and 26 at Gillette Stadium, a Boston-area venue owned by Kraft.
Kraft, a billionaire who supports pro-Israel and Jewish causes, has taken credit for Macklemore’s removal from the Sheeran tour, though the move sparked controversy.
In his most recent statement, however, Kraft tried to strike a conciliatory tone, adding that Macklemore had also challenged him to donate to a cause he believes in.
Macklemore said he would donate the entirety of his $1 million paycheck from Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organizations that support Palestinians: Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA USA and Anera.
“I invite Robert Kraft to match my donation,” he wrote in a lengthy social media post. “Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting.”
Statement from Robert Kraft pic.twitter.com/as3f4RUKse
— Gillette Stadium (@GilletteStadium) September 16, 2026
Kraft did not say whether he would match either Macklemore or Sheeran’s pledges, but noted that Sheeran would “reach out to other venue owners and our goal is to continue to work together to build bridges.”
In an earlier statement, he insisted that he values Palestinian lives.
“This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf. Their pain and loss are real,” Kraft wrote in a statement. “But that advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community.”
Sheeran has taken heat for the decision to drop Macklemore from the US leg of his Loop Tour, though he blamed the decision on the tour’s promoter, Messina Touring Group.
In a statement to Rolling Stone on September 14, Messina said that keeping Macklemore would have led to “the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans.”
Kraft demanded that Macklemore be removed after the rapper’s opening set at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier this month, when he called for a “Free Palestine” from the stage and said that part of his reason for joining the tour was to repeat that message before large audiences across the US.
During the show, he also performed “Hind’s Hall,” a 2024 song named after a Palestinian girl who was killed after Israeli forces fired on her family’s car in Gaza City. The song accuses Israel of apartheid and genocide. The rapper also showed footage from Gaza, images of Israeli soldiers, and pro-Palestinian messages on screens behind him.
Following the show, the Israeli-American Council began a petition that called for Macklemore’s removal from the tour. The group said the petition had gathered tens of thousands of signatures and generated millions of social media impressions.
Kraft, who last year founded the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, aimed in large part at combating hatred of Jews, had described Macklemore’s performance as offensive and hurtful to Jews.
Others of Sheeran’s opening acts have sided with Macklemore, expressing support for Palestinians and quitting the tour. The musicians include Finneas O’Connell, the Grammy-winning producer and brother of Billie Eilish; Danish band Lukas Graham; Irish group Beoga; and Irish musician Aaron Rowe.
According to TicketData, a site that tracks prices for concerts and sports events, resale prices for Sheeran’s upcoming US performances have been falling off.
In an effort to calm fans on both sides, Sheeran addressed the “conflict between Israel and Palestine” on social media on Tuesday, writing that “the suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy.”
Sheeran’s US tour is set to continue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
The Times of Israel Community.