Irish hip-hop group Kneecap has voiced support for Macklemore amid the controversy surrounding the rapper's recent political statements.The group shared a message on social media expressing solidarity with Macklemore and included a Palestinian flag. On X/Twitter on Monday, Sept. 14, the trio wrote:“All solidarity with @macklemore.”The group then criticized Israel's actions toward Palestinians and called for a free Palestine.“Today Israel is killing children, as they do every day. FREE PALESTINE.”Kneecap's statement comes amid growing attention surrounding Macklemore's public advocacy for Palestinians.He has been facing backlash from both professional and personal fronts over comments and imagery connected to the Israel-Gaza conflict during his opening set at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.Macklemore banned from performing at Gillette Stadium amid Ed Sheeran’s tourIn light of this incident, Robert Kraft, owner and operator of Gillette Stadium, has decided to bar the rapper from performing at the venue during Ed Sheeran's upcoming concerts.According to the billionaire businessman in an official statement, the decision was made on the basis of the rapper's recent behavior, material that came out during his set at New Jersey, and a broader history of rhetoric and imagery he believes has offended the Jewish community.“Based on Macklemore’s recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran’s 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, we determined that his participation in the September 25th and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line.”Robert Kraft also said the decision was not intended to dismiss Palestinian suffering or prevent advocacy for Palestinians. He argued that support for Palestinians and opposition to Hamas, antisemitism and hate should coexist.“Standing with the Palestinian people and standing against Hamas, antisemitism and hate should not be mutually exclusive.”Macklemore has continued to speak publicly about the conflict, while artists and performers have expressed differing views about his activism.Kneecap’s Glastonbury performanceKneecap has been among the more outspoken musical acts in support of Palestine.Glastonbury Festival 2025 - Day Four - Source: GettyIn June 2025, the hip-hop trio’s Glastonbury performance garnered heated criticism from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who called their stage act inappropriate.“No, I don’t, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this. This is about the threats that shouldn’t be made, I won’t say too much because there’s a court case on, but I don’t think that’s appropriate.”Due to their performance being considered “high-risk,” the BBC opted out of streaming the set live, instead recording and compliance-checking it before putting it on BBC iPlayer.Nevertheless, Kneecap proceeded with their performance and led the massive crowd with chants of “Free, free Palestine,” as well as criticism of UK arms sales.