Ms Rachel Takes Aim at Ed Sheeran Again: 'He Did a Concert for Ukraine' But Stayed Silent on Gaza

Ms Rachel has renewed her criticism of Ed Sheeran, accusing the singer of taking a different approach to supporting Palestine than he did when he backed Ukraine in 2022, following Macklemore's removal from his US tour.

The children's entertainer shared several Instagram posts contrasting Sheeran's involvement in the 2022 Concert for Ukraine with his decision not to publicly discuss his views on the Israel-Palestine conflict during his performances.

Her comments come as the fallout from Macklemore's removal widens, with all four supporting acts now withdrawing from Sheeran's tour.

Ms Rachel Takes Aim at Ed Sheeran Again

In one post, Ms Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Anne Accurso, wrote: 'Imagine being a Palestinian kid and seeing he did a concert for Ukraine but when over 20,000 Palestinian children are killed he's silent.'

She also accused Sheeran of making a political statement by supporting Ukraine while treating Palestine as 'too dangerous and political'.

In another post, she wrote that Palestinian children 'need our voices' and argued: 'It's wrong to be silent during a genocide.'

Her comments followed Sheeran's statement that he has personal views about the Israel-Palestine conflict but chooses not to discuss them publicly during his concerts and performances.

Previous Criticism of Sheeran

Ms Rachel had already criticised Sheeran after Macklemore confirmed he had been removed from the remaining US dates of the Loop Tour.

She previously accused Sheeran of 'caving' to pressure and wrote that 'silence during a genocide is not neutral'. She also said treating some children's lives as less worthy of outrage was racist.

The latest posts sharpened her criticism by directly comparing Sheeran's approach to Ukraine with his position on Gaza.

The 2022 Concert for Ukraine raised more than £13.4 million ($17.7 million) for the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

Ed Sheeran Responds to Macklemore Controversy

Sheeran said Macklemore's removal was 'the promoter's decision' and not his own. He said venues on the upcoming tour dates had threatened to pull their shows if Macklemore remained on the bill, leaving the final decision with the venues and promoter.

Sheeran said he tries to keep his shows as places where people from different backgrounds can come together. He said he has personal views about the conflict but does not want his concerts to become political forums.

'I am not complicit,' Sheeran said, adding that he respected Macklemore's decision to speak publicly about what he believes.

Macklemore Removed From Tour

Macklemore was removed after making pro-Palestinian remarks during his performances at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on 4 and 5 September.

He called for a 'Free Palestine', spoke about people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, and performed 'Hind's Hall', a song addressing the war.

The tour promoter, Messina Touring Group, said venues would not allow concerts to proceed with Macklemore on the lineup. He had been scheduled to perform at eight of the remaining 10 US shows.

Tour Fallout Widens Amid Macklemore Dispute

Macklemore claimed Robert Kraft had pressured Sheeran and rallied other stadium owners against keeping him on the tour. That wider claim has not been independently established.

Kraft later confirmed that Gillette Stadium would not host Macklemore, citing his recent actions and what Kraft described as a broader history of rhetoric and imagery that he believed was offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.

The controversy has since spread beyond Macklemore. Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Beoga have all withdrawn from Sheeran's tour, with their statements expressing support for Macklemore and concerns about political expression and free speech.