Macklemore Pledges $1 Million to Palestinian Organizations After Tour Ouster
Days after being removed from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour due to comments about Israel, rapper Macklemore announced he would donate his $1 million in tour earnings to six Palestinian organizations. Among these are three mentioned in internal Hamas documents, as well as others that have reportedly had connections to terrorist groups.
This pledge is a continuation of the activism that ultimately led to the cancellation of Macklemore’s remaining tour dates. During performances on September 4 and 5 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, he accused Israel of apartheid and genocide, declared “Free Palestine,” and performed his anti-Israel anthem “Hind’s Hall,” accompanied by images from Gaza displayed on large screens behind him.
Interestingly, “Hind’s Hall” is named after Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall, which was taken over by radical anti-Israel protesters during 2024 campus encampments. The song was released as a tribute to this protest movement, with its proceeds earmarked for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
On the second night at MetLife, Macklemore made it clear that his activism was a key reason he joined the tour in the first place. He told the audience, “A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words: Free Palestine.”
Shortly thereafter, his promoter, Messina Touring Group, pulled him from upcoming U.S. dates after venue owners expressed hesitation about hosting him. Robert Kraft, who owns the New England Patriots and whose Gillette Stadium was among those concerned, stated that his issue was not with advocacy for Palestinians but with Macklemore’s history of antisemitic remarks and imagery, which he believed blurred the line between advocacy and harmful rhetoric against Jews, particularly regarding Hamas’s actions in the October 7 attacks.
Macklemore responded to his removal by pledging the entire $1 million he earned from the tour to six Palestinian organizations, including the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), the UNRWA USA National Committee, and American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera).
Interestingly, several of these organizations—PCRF, MAP, and Anera—appear in internal Hamas security documents that were recovered in Gaza and later declassified by Israel. These documents provide insight into how Hamas monitored and controlled foreign NGOs operating in their territories.
Macklemore also urged Kraft to match his donation. Additionally, children’s entertainer and prominent pro-Palestinian activist Ms. Rachel—Rachel Griffin Accurso—publicly pledged $1 million to PCRF, specifically encouraging wealthy White celebrities to contribute as well. Her words carry weight, particularly amid a backdrop of historical concerns regarding potential financial ties between some of these organizations and terrorist groups.
The connections are particularly notable for PCRF, which has been linked in the past to alleged Hamas affiliations. A 2022 document identified it as a donor to a Gaza rehabilitation organization that included Hamas-affiliated individuals on its board. Other records indicate that PCRF has operated under restrictions imposed by Hamas regarding foreign medical assistance.
Another of Macklemore’s beneficiaries, Medical Aid for Palestinians, has faced allegations of being linked to Hamas, with a purported memo from Hamas describing its Gaza director as “affiliated with Hamas” and, notably, working “in the positive,” which NGO Monitor interprets as a reference to activities aligned with Hamas’s military operations.
Anera’s relationship with Hamas is more ambiguous. Although its records indicate collaboration with Hamas’s Ministry of Social Development, other internal documents suggest it has resisted some of Hamas’s demands for inspections. Anera maintains that it has strict policies against contact with Hamas.
Macklemore’s chosen organizations also include the UNRWA USA National Committee, which is a prominent supporter of the U.N. agency involved in ongoing scrutiny regarding alleged Hamas affiliations. The organization has come under fire in the past for potential connections to individuals involved in the October 7 attacks, prompting investigations that have accelerated in recent months.
Despite the controversies, it’s clear that supporting these organizations is not new territory for Macklemore; he has previously raised funds for many of them, including during a 2024 benefit concert in Seattle that followed the tragic events of October 7.
That evening, he expressed deeply political sentiments that surpassed simple humanitarian appeals, accusing Israel of a prolonged history of genocide and rallying the crowd with sentiments against American politics.
Now, with his recent tour earnings, Macklemore has committed to contributing to initiatives he has long supported, solidifying his stance amidst the ongoing complexities surrounding the issues at hand.
