Robert Kraft has pledged $2 million (£1.5 million) towards humanitarian aid in the region after Ed Sheeran asked him to match his own $2 million (£1.5 million) contribution, hours before Macklemore publicly challenged the billionaire to match his $1 million (£748,000) donation.
Kraft said Sheeran contacted him before Macklemore issued his challenge, adding a new twist to the fallout surrounding Sheeran's Loop Tour. Kraft also used his statement to highlight his long-standing support for initiatives involving Palestinians and Israelis.
Robert Kraft Pledges $2 Million To Humanitarian Aid
Kraft said Sheeran asked him to commit $2 million (£1.5 million) 'to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis'.
The announcement also did not specify whether Kraft's pledge would go to the same six organisations named by Macklemore, leaving the intended recipients currently unclear.
Macklemore had earlier announced that he would donate his entire $1 million (£748,000) in net earnings from Sheeran's tour to six organisations supporting Palestinians. He then invited Kraft to match the donation, saying Palestinian lives were 'worth protecting.'
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Kraft's statement, shared by Gillette Stadium, similarly emphasised the value of protecting lives, saying: 'I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people. I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting.'
Together, Macklemore, Sheeran and Kraft have now committed a total of $5 million (£3.74 million) towards humanitarian causes.
Kraft's Past Initiatives
Kraft also highlighted what he described as his long-standing efforts involving Palestinians and Israelis.
Statement from Robert Kraft pic.twitter.com/as3f4RUKse
— Gillette Stadium (@GilletteStadium) September 16, 2026
Kraft said he had 'supported efforts that create opportunity for Palestinians' and had brought young Palestinians and Israelis together 'to build businesses, create jobs, and forge relationships.'
One documented example is Our Generation Speaks, a Boston-based academic fellowship and business incubator for young Israelis and Palestinians.
A 2017 Forbes report said the programme received seed funding and a $1 million (£748,000) contribution from the Kraft family. It was designed to help participants develop ventures together and connect them with investors and mentors.
Kraft also founded the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism in 2019, which was rebranded as the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate in 2025. The organisation says it focuses on combating antisemitism and hate through education, media campaigns and partnerships.
However, Kraft did not identify the specific initiatives he was referring to in his latest statement, so his claim about bringing young Palestinians and Israelis together should be attributed to him rather than presented as a new independently verified programme.
Loop Tour Fallout: Where It All Began
The donation comes after Macklemore was removed from the remaining US dates of Sheeran's Loop Tour following pro-Palestinian comments during his performances at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on 4 and 5 September, where he called for a 'Free Palestine' and performed 'Hind's Hall' alongside images of destruction in Gaza.
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As previously reported, Kraft defended the decision to bar Macklemore from Gillette Stadium, saying it followed the rapper's recent comments and what Kraft described as a broader history of rhetoric and imagery that he believed had been offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.
The tour promoter, Messina Touring Group, said venues had notified it that concerts would not be allowed to proceed with Macklemore on the line-up. Sheeran later said the removal was the promoter's decision, not his.
The fallout continued when all four remaining supporting acts, Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham and Beoga, withdrew from the tour. Their statements cited support for Palestinians, freedom of expression, and objections to Macklemore's removal.
