Prefer Jewish News on Google
Pink shares statement after post criticising Macklemore’s free Palestine speech
Ed Sheeran has not addressed the calls for his tour opener to be dropped
US pop star Pink has vowed to “keep speaking out” despite being “hurt” by backlash after reposting criticism of Macklemore’s speech calling to “free Palestine”.
Macklemore, 43, opened for Ed Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey last week and told the audience he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten amid the conflict with Israel.
His words sparked controversy, including a petition demanding he be removed from the remaining dates of the tour, and Pink reposted a message criticising his comments to her Instagram page.
The Grammy-winning singer, 47, did not initially share her own comments on the matter and has since shared a lengthy essay to her page on Friday night as she responded to the backlash her reposts have received.
Pink, born Alecia Beth Moore, explained the post she shared “said things in words I didn’t write” and acknowledged acting “cheap and fast” on social media.
“I’d rather be disagreed with for what I actually said than hated for what anybody else wrote, so let me say it,” she wrote.
“I was born a Jew. I didn’t pick it, and I’ve never hidden it.
“And this week a whole lot of people decided what I believe without asking me, without checking a single thing I’ve ever said or done, because a repost and the word ‘Jew’ were apparently enough to fill in the rest.”
The chart-topper stated she does not speak for Israel or for any Government and reiterated her 2023 stance that “Palestinians deserve a future that honours their humanity and their aspirations”.
Pink explained that what she was “reacting to” with her reposts was a costume previously worn by Macklemore featuring what she described as “a hooked nose, a black beard and a bowl cut”.
“But he apologised, and I let it go, because that’s what we do. We let it go,” she said.
“Then last weekend he stood in front of a stadium full of music-loving families, with violent images from a war on the screens, dedicated a song to the movement of his choice, and then took the mic to tell all of the Jews in the stadium that it wasn’t about them.
“You don’t get to decide that for us. That’s what prompted my repost.
“Not ‘Free Palestine,’ and not anyone’s right to say it. I have never asked for another artist to be silenced and I’m not asking now.
“What I need is to be able to say, as a Jewish mom, ‘that scared me, and it scared people I love’, without being told our fear is just propaganda, and without being told I’m somehow cool with genocide because I noticed?”
Pink concluded by saying she has noticed a “change” in her comments, with people who “couldn’t tell you the details of what I believe” starting to “put words in her mouth”.
“But I’ve been portrayed as the villain before. I can take it. I just won’t take it quietly, and I’m not going to teach my kids to,” she added.
Pink also told those who are “furious” that they “don’t have to agree with me”, adding: “You don’t have to agree with one thing Israel’s government does to not want the Jewish family two rows down from you to be scared or targeted at a concert.
“That’s the only thing I’m asking anybody for. To the ones who are frightened this week, Jewish or Muslim or Palestinian or Israeli or just tired of all of it: I see you.
“And if anybody wants to really know what I think, just ask me. I’m right here. I’ve never been hard to find. And I’ll keep speaking out, in my own words.”
Macklemore has since responded to the controversy with a video of himself on stage during Sheeran’s show which he captioned: “Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial.”
Sheeran himself has not addressed the calls for his tour opener to be dropped.
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
