Ed Sheeran says it was 'not my decision' to drop Macklemore from tour

He told the audience: "A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so that I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very, very dear to my heart: Free Palestine."He then performed his song Hind's Hall, which is dedicated to pro-Palestinian protestors at Columbia University and condemns Israel's military action in Gaza, while video footage of the devastation in Gaza was shown on the big screen.Some of the audience cheered - but there was almost immediate criticism online.The Israeli American Council launched a petition demanding his removal from the tour; while the campaign group StopAntisemitism said the musician had ambushed fans with propaganda - a claim that was amplified by the pop star Pink, who reposted it on Instagram.The next night, Macklemore returned to the same stage and directly addressed his "Jewish brothers and sisters" in the audience."Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, is in no way a criticism of you," he said, adding that he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten.Israel rejects allegations of genocide. It says its troops conduct self-defence operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank in accordance with international law.The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to an unprecedented Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.