Macklemore’s relentless calls for Palestinian liberation have drawn plenty of backlash over the past few years, but Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett has made it clear that he is firmly in the rapper’s corner.
The Seattle native opened for Ed Sheeran at two shows in New Jersey last weekend and used his platform to advocate for those under Israeli occupation. On the first night, he told the crowd that part of the reason he joined the tour was to say “Free Palestine” in stadiums across the country to let people in Gaza and the West Bank know they haven’t been forgotten.
This drew criticism from P!NK and Boy George, while the Israeli-American Council launched a petition urging Sheeran to remove Macklemore from the remainder of the tour. Amid the uproar, Shiflett waded into the debate.
Inactive on social media for the most part, he began responding to posts on X after one user argued that the “Thrift Shop” hitmaker had violated the unwritten etiquette of touring by airing his political beliefs while opening for an artist who fills stadiums.
“Maybe speaking out against genocide trumps etiquette,” Shiflett responded to guitarist Joe Bonamassa, pointing out that the crowd appeared receptive to Macklemore’s message.
When another user suggested concertgoers might simply want music rather than political speeches, Shiflett rejected the familiar demand that artists keep their views to themselves.
“I get the ‘STFU and play’ thing all the time and I don’t subscribe to it,” he wrote.
When another person accused musicians of selectively focusing on Gaza while ignoring atrocities elsewhere, Shiflett pushed back and argued that people in his circles routinely condemn violence around the world while distinguishing the crisis in Palestine given Washington’s proximity to the atrocities committed by Israel.
“The Israeli genocide in Gaza is one that our country has a particularly close relationship to, so you should expect criticism,” he noted.
While Shiflett does not have too visible a public record of Palestinian advocacy, he has publicly spoken on politics and been critical of conservatism both within and beyond the United States. Meanwhile, Macklemore has remained committed to bringing attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the occupied territories.
Since the start of Israel’s onslaught on the Strip in the aftermath of the October 7th attacks by Hamas in 2023, he has repeatedly called for a de-escalation and attended rallies to help mobilize the cause.
He funneled those efforts into his music with the release of “Hind’s Hall” and pledged its streaming proceeds to UNRWA USA, which supports the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees. The song was named after the Columbia University building that was occupied and renamed by student demonstrators in honor of Hind Rajab, the five-year-old girl whom the IDF killed in 2024 with a heavy barrage of gunfire.
Macklemore followed that up with “Hind’s Hall 2” in collaboration with Amer Zahr, MC Abdul, and Anees, all of whom are of Palestinian origin. He appeared at the Palestine Will Live Forever benefit festival in Seattle that same month, where his “Fuck America” declaration generated another round of controversy. Through it all, the rapper has maintained that his ultimate goal is equality for all.
“My message is for peace, love for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality,” he said at the second performance in New Jersey last week, clarifying that his criticisms of Israel are not directed at the Jewish community as a whole.
Despite the latest pushback, he is still listed as support for Sheeran’s upcoming “LOOP Tour” dates, including shows in Philadelphia, Foxborough, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Charlotte, and Arlington.
The crisis in Gaza, meanwhile, continues nearly three years after the 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, which claimed roughly 1,200 lives. Since then, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been reported killed in Gaza and over 174,000 injured.
Although a ceasefire agreement was announced in October 2025, the violence is far from over. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs found that 1,334 Palestinians had been killed and 4,429 injured between the ceasefire announcement and Sept. 2 of this year, while most of Gaza’s residents remain displaced.
Last year, an Independent International Commission of Inquiry at the UN concluded that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel rejects the finding, while a separate case brought by South Africa also alleges genocide and remains before the International Court of Justice.
maybe speaking out against genocide trumps etiquette. the irony of all this performative outrage is that the crowd sounded on board with the message. https://t.co/7sgtZguCJ0
— Chris Shiflett (@ChrisShiflett71) September 9, 2026
no I don't think I did. I get the "STFU and play" thing all the time and I don't subscribe to it. https://t.co/hEv0wygrZM
— Chris Shiflett (@ChrisShiflett71) September 9, 2026
my man I've taken the stage many many times opening for or headlining over artists who I disagree with wildly across the board and I've never left or tried to get someone thrown off a tour for it. https://t.co/I3oihopXLV
— Chris Shiflett (@ChrisShiflett71) September 9, 2026
nope – I don't know what space you live in, but in my world people are critical of atrocities all over the globe. the Israeli genocide in Gaza is one that our country has a particularly close relationship too, so you should expect criticism. https://t.co/5zVpHXauQI
— Chris Shiflett (@ChrisShiflett71) September 9, 2026
