Is ‘Free Palestine’ antisemitic? Here are 5 religion takeaways from the Macklemore cancelation

(RNS) — A raft of musicians and musical groups have now dropped out of English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour following his removal of the rapper Macklemore over his onstage statements opposing the war in Gaza.

The ruckus over the musical tour has devolved into yet another protest over Israel and whether criticism of the state for its nearly three-year military campaign in Gaza amounts to antisemitic incitement.

Here are five religion-related takeaways.

Macklemore has a penchant for speaking out on political issues The 43-year-old rapper from Seattle, a cradle Catholic, has been a fierce critic of President Donald Trump and a supporter of various social justice causes. In 2016, Macklemore appeared in former President Barack Obama’s weekly address to talk about the dangers of addiction to opioids and has acknowledged his own road to recovery. He has also championed LGBTQ+ causes.

But he is probably best known for speaking out on Palestinian liberation. In October 2023, weeks after Hamas attacked Israel, he called for a ceasefire to end Israel’s retaliatory strikes on Gaza, which had just begun. He also helped produce a film about the Columbia University Gaza…