US rapper Macklemore’s US$1 million pledge raises awareness of Palestinian suffering

For the Palestinian relief non-profit behind a US$1 million pledge from rapper Macklemore, the Grammy winner’s latest contributions offer more than just money.Macklemore committed to donate his net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour after he was dropped for making pro-Palestinian comments on stage at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.The goal, he wrote in a Wednesday post on social media, was to “bring the conversation back to where it belongs” – the Palestinian people – after a 48-hour period that saw four supporting acts quit in solidarity and confusion over who held responsibility for the decision.The six donation recipients included Medical Aid for Palestinians, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.In addition to the funding windfall, their leaders welcomed the renewed public awareness of the perilous living conditions faced by the Palestinian people they treat regularly.The body of a child is retrieved on Wednesday from the rubble of a residential building damaged in an Israeli strike. Photo: Reuters“Even if you don’t see bombs falling every night, the rubble is still there,” said Alicia Phillips Mandaville, the acting CEO of Anera, another beneficiary. “And the traumatised children are still traumatised.”Tareq Hailat, the director of strategic engagement at Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, said his phone rings “all the time” with calls from people in Gaza “bleeding and asking for help”.