Macklemore, Ed Sheeran and Robert Kraft are reportedly pledging a total of $5 million to aid the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.
After being dropped from Sheeran’s tour earlier this week, and causing a major backlash against the singer-songwriter, Macklemore has committed to donating his full $1 million net earnings to six different organizations “working directly to support” the Palestinian people.
On Instagram, he wrote that “writing a check is one of the least costly forms of solidarity available to me.”
Macklemore not only made the pledge, but he also invited billionaire Robert Kraft, who reportedly instructed Sheeran to drop the rapper from his tour, to match his donation, saying, “Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting.”
In his statement, he made it clear that what is most important is for the focus to remain on the people of Palestine who are still being killed and living under occupation.
“With everything that has happened over the last 48 hours, I want to bring the conversation back to where it belongs: to the Palestinian people who are still being killed, still living under military occupation, and still fighting for their freedom,” he wrote.
In an unexpected twist, Kraft issued a statement following Macklemore’s post, saying he will match the $2 million Sheeran is donating, however, he did not specify which organizations he will support.
“I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people,” Kraft wrote in an Instagram post on Gillette Stadium’s account. “I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting.”
He then explained that “earlier today, before Macklemore challenged me to match his donation, Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis.”
Kraft added that Sheeran “plans to reach out to other venue owners and our goal is to continue to work together to build bridges.”
Read the statements below.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Robert Kraft was pledging money to aid the Palestinian people. It has been updated to reflect that he has not yet specified which organizations he will be supporting.