Macklemore wrote on his Instagram: “Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium.
“Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum - if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.”
He also wrote: “I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim. We have careers, money, opportunities, safety and audiences around the world. Whatever consequences any of us face for what we say, we get to go home to our families.
“The victims are the Palestinian people. The men, women and children who have been killed, starved, displaced and forced to live through unimaginable violence. More than 20,000 children have been killed in Gaza alone. People are being killed today, and people will be killed tomorrow. I want to make sure that as I tell this story, we don’t lose sight of that.”
Kraft, who owns food company Kraft as well as NFL team the new England Patriots, published a statement online saying: “Gillette Stadium has a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech.
“Based on Macklemore’s recent actions… [as well as previous incidents] we determined that his participation in the September 25 and 26 concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line.”
Robert Kraft (Image: Getty Images)Getty Images
Kraft added: “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. But that advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas, a US and globally... designated terrorist organisation whose horrific actions have caused immeasurable suffering for Palestinians and Israelis alike.”
He went on to say: “Too many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate.
"Over many decades, I have directed resources to Palestine and created athletic and entrepreneurial opportunities for Palestinians who I admire and respect. Standing with the Palestinian people and standing against Hamas, antisemitism and hate should not be mutually exclusive.
“Much of my time and attention for the last decade has been focused on the fight against antisemitism and hate of all kinds, and I feel a responsibility to stand up when I believe that line has been crossed. I have tremendous respect for Ed and his music, particularly his unique ability to bring people together and spread joy, and I have always been proud to welcome him and his fans to Gillette Stadium.”
He also extended an invitation to Macklemore, writing: “I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with Macklemore and discuss the facts, because ultimately our goal is the same – peace for all people, an end to suffering, and an end to all hate.”
As well as putting the blame on Kraft, Macklemore also commented on Sheeran and his “apolitical stance”.
“His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before,” Macklemore wrote. “He told me that the words ‘Free Palestine’ and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with.
“I told him that if those words were more offensive than tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where those people stood and where I stood. But he couldn’t get past his public facing, ‘I don’t take sides’.”
The recent saga has caused an old incident where Macklemore caused upset to the Jewish community to go viral.
Macklemore wearing a costume in 2014 (Image: X/ Stop Antisemitism)[Missing Credit]
In May 2014, at a “secret” performance in Seattle, he wore a costume which many said looked like an offensive character of a Jew, complete with a giant hooked nose.
Macklemore later apologised saying it wasn't intentional and instead chose the elements of the outfit to allow him to move freely around the stage without being recognised.
He is reported to have said at the time: “I acknowledge how the costume could, within a context of stereotyping, be ascribed to a Jewish caricature.”
