Macklemore addresses his divisive Palestine speech on stage as Pink seemingly calls him out

Macklemore has spoken out in the the wake of the Israeli-American Council starting a petition calling for the rapper to be removed from Ed Sheeran's tour.

The 'Thrift Shop' hitmaker performed for Sheeran in MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, on September 4th and 5th.

Speaking to the 80,000 strong crowd, Macklemore – whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty – said (per a clip shared to his Instagram page): "I've been trying to figure out a way to say this all day. One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because I wanted to stand up here on stages and stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine."

"I want those words to be loud and clear, so the people from Gaza, all the way to the occupied West Bank, know that we have not forgotten them," Macklemore went on.

"And this next song was inspired by the bravery of Columbia University students who led an encampment movement that mobilized the entire world; open up hearts, myself included, so thank you to those students that risked their diplomas, that risked their tuition, that risked their scholarships, that stood up and said, no.

"CUAD students, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voices for Peace. Thank you, guys.

"To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: criticism of Israel, criticizm of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you. My message is for peace; love for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality."

His speech continued: "So I say Free Palestine, I say Free Lebanon, I say Free Cuba, I say Free Congo, Free Sudan, I say Free all people in America living in fear of this terrorist organization, ICE. None of us will be free until we are all free."

His sentiments have sparked backlash online – including from fellow music stars like Pink.

Pink reshared an Instagram Story from StopAntisemitism this weekend, which hit out Macklemore's performance and called the situation downright 'awful' in its caption. She didn't share her own thoughts on the matter, however.

Macklemore has since defended himself online. Posting a video of him giving the speech that's sparked so much controversy, he wrote: "Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial."

The Israeli‑American Council (IAC) has launched a petition asking for the rapper to be take off Sheeran's tour and argued that the 'Shape of You' singer's tour is 'not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event'.

"The issue is not whether Macklemore has the right to hold political views. The question is where to draw the line when an opening act uses a global concert platform to advance a one-sided political agenda," the IAC went on, The Jerusalem Post reports.

"This becomes even more troubling when the message relies on selective imagery, biased messaging, and disputed claims presented to a massive audience as fact, without context or complexity."

UNILAD has reached out to reps for Sheeran for comment.