Dear Friends,
A major interruption in an Ed Sheeran’s pop concert occurred when fellow artist Macklemore made a three-minute statement to 60,000 fans to “Free Palestine” on 4 September, 2026 in New Jersey, USA.
The interruption became the main news item the following day in the BBC world news.
We awaited Sheeran’s response. A few days later, he opened his next performance with a statement. Here is his full statement on YouTube. Clip from Middle East Eye, an online news agency provides daily news stories to 25,000,000 citizens, mostly in the Middle East.
The issue matters deeply to Palestinians and Israelis. Important as that is, it also serves as an opportunity to look at our view and what kind of world we want to live in. I regard compassion, fearless and wise, a key feature of radical and significant change.
I have included in this post extracts of some of the views I received after the previous Substack posting.
1. Full text of Ed Sheeran’s statement to fans
2. Seven takeaways with responses from his statement.
3. Extracts from feedback from readers and my responses on a previous Substack Post on Ed Sheeran.
4. Next steps for Macklemore.
Full Online Statement from Ed Sheeran at New Jersey concert
“This is not usually how I open a show, but before I play some songs tonight, I hope it’s OK if I say a few words about this last week.
I’m used to my music being criticised, and I’m always happy to take that because I’m lucky a lot of you like my stuff, and to be honest I’m surprised, I’m not surprised.”
“But this week the criticism was about something much more important. And I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so sorry. I don’t want to disappoint fans, and I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician, but this put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet.
“My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone and that matters hugely to me. Honouring my commitment to my fans is also completely central to who I am, and that is why I’m here tonight on my own and continuing my current tour.
“But I am deeply worried about the idea of venues pre-approving content of performers. This happens in so many places I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world.
“Now, I want to address the question of where I stand in the situation in Israel and Palestine and whether my doing this concert here tonight implies where I stand. I’ve tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind because I want my music and shows to be about unity not division, about humanity not politics.
“But this is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore. What happened in Israel at a music festival on Oct. 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.
“My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives; of children’s lives and the systemic justice we’re seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.
“I am already speaking to people across the spectrum to work out how to make a contribution that helps victims of these terrible times and listening and learning because I do not know enough.
“I honestly am so grateful that you’re here tonight with me.
“This concert is still a place where everyone is welcome, and everyone here can stand beside people who have opposing views, and everyone here can stand by people that they don’t agree with on everything, but they can all agree I’m singing these songs.
Response from Seven Takeaways of Ed Sheeran’s Statement on Stage
1. I am making mistakes, and I’m so sorry.
Thank you, Ed. You were in the eye of an international storm. It is not easy to respond with clarity and insight in such times.
2. I am deeply worried about the idea of venues pre-approving content of performers.
We look forward to you inviting a musician or guest to give three minutes talk to your fans about a major international humanitarian issue.
3. freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet.
It is not complex. That’s a common defence against action. It is simple. Keep the word “compassion” as your central focus.
4. …. we’re seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked. “I am already speaking to people across the spectrum to work out how to make a contribution that helps victims of these terrible times.
A noble initiative. Keep us informed of the contributions that you, your fans, fellow musicians, support team organisers, owners of venues fans and others outside the industry make towards those enduring terrible suffering.
5. “Victims.”
From my experience with Palestinians: I do not hear them regarding themselves as victims. Their resilience is of the highest order. That’s why they stay on their homeland.
6. …. listening and learning because I do not know enough.
Perhaps the most vital takeaway in your reflection with your fans. Keep us up to date with who you listen to and what you learn. May all of us listen and learn from humanitarian disasters, whether inflicted by people or through forces of nature.
7. These songs are about love, hope and unity.
Keep on singing, Ed.
Extracts from Responses to my previous Substack Post
Extracts: It’s shocking when such a tender, sweet man, is forced to stand up and say the obvious,
Response: Agreed. What’s going on in the mind of those who feel compelled to cut down the tall poppies? Ed Sheeran is a tall poppy in the world of music.
E:We really need more Jewish People to speak out as the majority continue to support Israel or are silent, which unfortunately is implicit support.
I googled several times opinion polls in Israel in the past three years. It appears only 3-4% of Jewish citizens were totally opposed to IDF and decimation of Gaza since 7 October 2023. The silence in Israel appears deafening. More and more are finding their voice.
E: Buddhist authority has a stupid opinion.
It does not take much intelligence to refer to another‘s “stupid opinion.” It takes reflection, research and clarity to offer an intelligent opinion.
E. They (Israel) chose to torture and murder a whole proud, intelligent, creative, moral population of people into extinction.
The same could be said of Israel. Sadly, much of the society turned its back on morality and supported the Knesset or said little or nothing in terms of the evil inflicted on Gaza. This has been the situation for centuries.
E. There is no greater evil amongst humans than genocide.
The Buddha makes regular reference to good and evil. Evil means the deliberation intention to inflict suffering on another or others.
E. What about the stories on october7.org? Why don’t you ever say a single word about that?
You will find in my Substack posts around 25 articles about the war on Gaza with equal revulsion to the evil of war crimes, genocide committed by Hamas, and conditions that led up to it. My recent book Questioning our Views goes into the primary issues worldwide facing all of us including Gaza.
E. NAZIs made me afraid to be a Jew. Zionists made me ashamed to be a Jew.
Thank you for sharing your experience. One Israeli said to me. “I am proud to be a Jew. I am ashamed to be an Israeli.” We are much deeper than a label of identity. This depth frees up compassion.
E. IRONY: When Zionists who survived a genocide use it as an excuse to commit genocide.
Irony. Yes. It was in the air in Israel. You need to go deeper than irony to recognise the conditions triggering a cancer of violence that broke out in Israel against its neighbours and continues in the systematic destruction of life in neighbouring countries.
E. The biggest “anti-Semitic” threat right now is from our senators and congresspersons who are funding the Zionist project to wipe out the Palestinians.
Yes, we can find the West’s fingerprints from our armaments industries, especially USA, Germany and UK, on every bomb, shell and bullet used in Gaza and elsewhere through the weapons we freely provided.
E. Thank you for this very important article. As an Israeli, I agree with every word. Free Palestine can mean equal rights to all people living between the river and the sea. Or it can mean give the Palestinians back all the land from the river to the sea.
This grossly inflamed language of certain Palestinian officials “from the river to the sea” had immense traction in Israel. I do not know anyone in the West who would associate it with Free Palestine.
E. An interesting essay.
May the essay have a single point that awakens the voice of compassion.
E. I feel that certain actions are called for when we are shown videos of children and old people suffering, suffering, suffering. Action becomes more important when the perpetuators of this violence brag about their cruelty.
Protest against the infliction of suffering on others stand as a foremost human right. We need a culture of protestors.
E. Sorry C you are wrong about Owen Jones . If you go back and reread your Dharma tool of assessing Jones, he follows all the requirements especially the ‘ right view and fearlessness’ .
Owen Jones (a political columnist for The Guardian newspaper in the UK) described Ed Sheeran as a “coward” and tore into him for 40 minutes on Youtube and then for another 16 minutes on his statement at his next concert. Sheeran said he is not a “political commentator.” He is a gentle soul, not a political animal. He was holding back the tears when he spoke on stage. Listen to his songs and read the lyrics. He is not John Lennon, nor a coward.
E. Thank you for a thoughtful teaching in the dharma and social action.
Buddhism and mindfulness often market inner change rather than an empowered Sangha to engage in the ending of suffering.
E. Palestine appears in your writing again and again. But it stays abstract: a slogan, a horrible number.
Suffering is not abstract, nor a slogan, nor a horrible number. The same applies to the infliction of suffering, the causes and conditions for suffering, often instilled for years, decades or even generations.
Macklemore goes on Tour
Extracts from BBC report:
“Macklemore is launching a “Free Palestine” tour, days after being dropped from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour following pro-Palestinian comments he made onstage earlier this month.
“So, as you all know, my schedule freed up a bit,” he said upon announcing the tour on Thursday.
The American artist - whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty - said proceeds from the tour, which launches in Dublin next month, will go to organisations supporting Palestinians.
Macklemore’s onstage comments and subsequent removal from the tour led Sheeran’s support acts to drop out.
In a statement on Thursday, the rapper said that the last couple of weeks had shown him there had been “a collective awakening around Palestinian liberation, the power of billionaires that try to censor that call, and what we expect from artists right now”.
“When the billionaire class can decide which voices are allowed on stage and which ones are too dangerous to hear, everyone should be paying attention.”
Macklemore said he had spent the last week contacting artists who had used their platforms to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, regardless of the consequences.”
Thank you, Macklemore
It would be precious and far-reaching if an artist or guest gave a three-minute statement on an issue of humanitarian concern during their performance.
Thank you for your bold compassion. You warm the soul of gratitude of Palestinians and many others dealing with much suffering and for those committed to ending suffering.
We love you.
Christopher
www.thebuddhawallah.org
This is a very complex situation and historical context. It’s also backed and has input from extremist views from each side. The pop social commentary considers only the human side of this conflict (rightfully so), but …. It consistently fails to address the deeper, more protracted issues and historical precedents , players behind the scenes, the real overtly stated goals by many of these participants (who do not want peace ), who are two faced in their dealings ie we want peace but we will continue to show otherwise, who have historically and continue to reject any viable solution. It’s this need to simplify the situation for mass consumption and dangerous platitudinous , populist rhetoric and amplify the emotional over the facts that leads to this misunderstanding of what is actually going on. Meanwhile the innocent continue to suffer appallingly. I would pray to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the ten directions to shower compassion, remove ignorance, enlighten the Buddhi element in all people, to hopefully lessen hatred , attachment to wrong ideas and views of their fellow humans. And to see directly I am you and you are me .
Best wishes from the Karma Kagyu