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\n\tNew England Patriots owner Robert Kraft<\/a> confirmed that he made the decision to bar Macklemore<\/a> from opening for Ed Sheeran at Gillette Stadium<\/a> after the Seattle rapper expressed support for Palestinians and called for a \u201cFree Palestine\u201d at a recent show.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tIn a statement shared with Rolling Stone<\/em>, Kraft said the call was based on the rapper\u2019s \u201crecent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran<\/a>\u2019s shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.\u201d (Along with Macklemore<\/a>\u2018s recent statements, Kraft appeared to be alluding to a 2014 incident where Macklemore was accused<\/a> of dressing up as an antisemitic caricature. The rapper apologized<\/a>, but insisted he was just trying to disguise himself.)<\/p>\n \n\tAdding that Gillette Stadium was committed to \u201cproviding a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that all events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech,\u201d Kraft said that the venue decided that Macklemore\u2019s participation in Sheeran\u2019s two upcoming shows at Gillette \u201cwould cross that line.\u201d\u00a0(Macklemore has been dropped from not only the Gillette Stadium shows, but the rest of Sheeran\u2019s Loop tour.)<\/p>\n \n\tKraft\u2019s statement was released after Macklemore, in his own comment, alleged that Kraft called Sheeran and told him the rapper \u201cwould not be allowed to perform in his stadium.\u201d However, Kraft did not acknowledge Macklemore\u2019s other major claim about the situation: that Kraft also \u201crallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave [Sheeran] an ultimatum: If Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.\u201d (A rep for Kraft did not immediately return a request for comment on that allegation.)<\/p>\n \n\tThe uproar over Macklemore and his spot on Sheeran\u2019s Loop tour erupted after the rapper joined the trek in early September for two shows at Metlife Stadium outside New York City. At the first gig, Macklemore yelled \u201cFree Palestine\u201d; expressed solidarity with people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank; showed images of the devastation from Israel\u2019s war on Gaza; and performed his protest song, \u201cHind\u2019s Hall,\u201d about pro-Palestine demonstrators at Columbia University.\u00a0<\/p>\n