Macklemore, Ed Sheeran & P!nk: Israel v. Palestine

"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."

Elie Wiesel, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning author, political activist, and Holocaust survivor, 1986.

Image description: a photo of Holocaust-survivor Elie Wiesel and a quotation of his:

“Always take sides.

Neutrality helps the oppressor,

never the victim.

Silence encourages the tormentor,

never the tormented.”

Applying Elie Wiesel’s profound words directly to P!nk's comments and from Instagram on the Macklemore speech, provides a powerful philosophical-lens which underpins the exact criticism P!nk faces. Wiesel’s quotation, delivered during his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, is one of the most definitive moral arguments against public neutrality in the face of Human Suffering.

For critics of P!nk, Wiesel’s philosophy is the core justification for why her partial silence is viewed as condonance.

Selective solidarity as neutrality: Critics argue that by actively using her platform to condemn Macklemore and defend Jewish concert-goers, but choosing not to condemn the actions of the Israeli military or state, she is effectively choosing neutrality regarding Palestinian suffering.

Aiding the "oppressor": In this view, failing to speak out against barbaric state-sanctioned violence means P!nk's silence acts as a shield. By Wiesel's metric, this silence directly "encourages the tormentor" by allowing their actions to pass without public push-back from influential cultural figures.

It ought to be noted that P!nk has often spoken and sung about Social Justice issues, with which I have invariably agreed.

Her down-playing and scapegoating of the term Zionist and thus Zionism is disingenuous at best.

The State of Israel is an aggressor nation, illegally occupying lands belonging to other states. The Israeli State, its agencies - including the IDF - and some of its pro-Zionist citizens are all guilty of crimes &/or war-crimes, across Israel, Palestine & Lebanon, and possibly Syria & Iran.

Being pro-Jewish and at the same time anti-Israel or anti-Zionist are compatible stand-points. Haredi Jews (ultra-orthodox religionists), JVP, IJAN & Jews for Justice for Palestinians in the UK (all so-called left-wing political groups) hold such a stance.

I am a Quaker. Judaism is a wonderful, matriarchal faith in my opinion. But like everyone else, there are good & bad Jews. The pro-Zionists who currently control the Knesset (NB there is no second chamber), are pro-apartheid, pro-genocide, criminals & war-mongers.

The Israeli government is a coälition made up of the following members:

[Likud: Right-wing, secular-nationalist (largest party in the coalition).

Shas: Ultra-Orthodox Sephardic/Mizrachi religious party.

United Torah Judaism (UTJ): Ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi religious party.

Religious Zionist Party: Far-right, national-religious faction.

Otzma Yehudit: Far-right, ultranationalist party led by Itamar Ben-Gvir.]*

They have the majority. As such, all are complicit in the prime minister Netanyahu's actions. Recall that he is subject to a dynamic ICC international arrest-warrant in respect to both suspected War Crimes & Crimes Against Humanity. The ICJ has also been running a separate, ongoing legal case (#192) against the State of Israel as a whole regarding the Genocide Convention.

Quakers have long held (officially in UK since 2011 I think) a stance against the refractory behaviours of the Israeli state. I myself have blogged on the need to boycott buying goods from the Israeli-occupied lands, so that we do not tacitly support the state economically.

In this respect the USA especially and several European countries inter alia the UK, have continued to support Israel financially or with weaponry and support systems. These nations are also morally complicit, if not legally so.

In 2025, eight global Quaker groups released a joint statement declaring with "moral clarity" that ongoing actions in Gaza constitute the crime of genocide. They urged a permanent ceasefire, a full weapons embargo, and the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid.

Ed Sheeran's volte-face on 19th September declared his support for Palestine. This puts him in the same position Macklemore was in. I doubt Kraft and the other pro-Israel billionaire-owners of the concert-venues will be banning Sheeran, which will make hypocrites of them.

I doubt P!nk will change her statements or view-points as she tends to be strong-willed - just like myself. Despite being (visibly) disabled (minority) & queer (minority) it is often difficult for me to perceive my white privilege (majority) & male privilege (technically minority, but majority power-holders, hence patriarchy). I do wonder whether something similar is clouding P!nk's moral-compass. I have a few P!nk CDs, but I will not be able to listen again until Peace is established or she changes her mind. Sheeran has demonstrated that one can alter one's views.

I personally shall continue to pray for Peace across West Asia (Middle East in statu quo ante). 🙏🏻🕊️

*[Per Google AI]

Boycotting Israeli Products: a Moral Imperative?

In response to Greg Manahan’s photo (above; © aforesaid) on facebook yesterday, I posted the following update:

Irish Tesco ONLY as far as I know - but it's a start. Perhaps Waitrose & Abel & Cole you two could also follow suit, please?

I boycott Israeli products in the same way that I have been boycotting Australian goods for the way they treat those who are not "one of them". Waitrose by economically supporting the Isreali state is culpable of supporting potential acts of genocide and at the very least war crimes. But then so is UK which is more than happy to sell arms or products that can be used against people to Israel. It is very difficult too to boycott because some products that say Israel are actually made/produced in occupied land and others in the defined State of Israel. Quakers have produced guidance as we wish to avoid purchasing products from these illegally occupied Palestinian/Syrian territories: http://www.quaker.org.uk/settlement-produce. We support the right of Israel to exist; but not Israeli war crimes and occupation.

I heard nothing from Waitrose about my concerns; so I thought I would peruse what facebookers had been writing on the supermarket's eponymous page. This from 27th July at 16.04:

Waitrose will always grow produce in Britain where possible - we will only source from overseas if we can't get the right quality in this country or if it is out of the British season.

Our sourcing decisions aren't politically motivated. Instead our priority is to make sure our food is fully traceable, and produced with the highest standards of worker and animal welfare and respect for the environment. We clearly label all produce so that customers can act on their own beliefs.

Any Israeli Waitrose produce comes from internationally recognised (pre-1967) borders. We know this because we have absolute traceability for all our food and we only source from known farms.

In response, I submitted the following comment

Good to know you are in line with Quaker guidance: http://www.quaker.org.uk/settlement-produce. However, I buy mainly organic and at times your produce comes from Israel when there is perfectly tasty produce available in Spain. I know because Abel & Cole or Riverford manage to source. There may be alternatives to purchasing from Israel and thus by-passing Israel. You could always try to seek out Jewish farmers elsewhere, so that you cannot be tarnished with the anti-semitic brush. %)

That was some eight hours ago, but again Waitrose have not as yet responded.

*

For years now the Israeli state has badly treated Arabs residing within its boundaries as well as committing heinous acts against Palestinians, this is despite many Jews both in Israel and within the wider diaspora vociferously objecting to this renegade state's behaviours. In the UK, the US, France, and so on, none of our countries can take a stand because they are similarly guilty of dreadful misdeeds, warmongering and profiteering on the backs of misery and death. It is for this reason that we as citizens must take the moral stand and hit states where it hurts - economically. I ask you to now boycott Israeli produce and services. Write to your MP, your MEP (as Europe gives Israel lots of economic benefits) and the main-stream media: let them all know how much you actually care.

Israel will only be at peace when it learns to love its neighbours.

My prayers!