Ed Sheeran Philadelphia Gaza speech
by Gabriel K: Ed Sheeran
What is happening in Gaza, Ed Sheeran called catastrophic, unjustifiable, and disproportionate. He said it on stage at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, where he played a solo set after his whole support crew walked out, a resignation that came once Macklemore got pulled from the tour. He collapsed while speaking about Gaza. He opened the night by apologizing for "difficult decisions" and "mistakes," saying he never set out to be a political commentator, but this is a humanitarian issue and he can't hide how he feels anymore. October 7 and the Nova attack he named horrific and exacerbating centuries of Jewish pain. Civilian deaths and children's deaths have broken his heart. The systemic injustice unfolding in the West Bank, in his words, cannot be ignored. He also said he's still "listening and learning because I don't know enough," and that he's talking to people across the spectrum about how to help victims. The show, he said, stays a place for opposing views, all agreeing on songs about love, hope and unity. Reports say he cried before Castle on the Hill. Amen. #EdSheeran
Transcript (en)
Now, I want to address the question of where I stand in the situation in Israel and Palestine and whether my doing this concert here tonight implies where I stand. I have tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind because I want my musical shows to be about unity, not division, about humanity, not politics. But this is a humanitarian issue and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore. What happened in Israel and at the Lone Music Festival on October 7th was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians lives, children's lives. And the systemic injustice you are seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked. I am already speaking to people across the spectrum to work out how to make a contribution that helps victims in these terrible times and listening and learning because I do not know enough. I honestly am so grateful that you're here, sign with me. This concert is still a place where everyone is welcome, and everyone here can stand beside people that have opposing views, and everyone here can stand by people that they don't agree with on everything, but they can all agree on singing these songs. And these songs are about love, hope and unity.
