Boy George has jumped into the growing controversy surrounding Macklemore's pro-Palestinian comments during Ed Sheeran's US tour, accusing the British singer of having 'no spine' for staying quiet.
The Culture Club frontman also criticised Paloma Faith while praising Pink for her response to Macklemore's appearance. The tweet has added another layer to an already heated debate over whether musicians should use concert stages to speak about the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Boy George Calls Out Ed Sheeran
Boy George made his position clear in a post on X, directly addressing Macklemore, Ed Sheeran, Paloma Faith and Pink.
Discussing Macklemore's 'Free Palestine' message, George argued that slogans can create the impression of moral courage without necessarily requiring political understanding. He then turned his attention to Sheeran, saying the singer 'clearly has no spine' and suggesting he should address the controversy.
George was equally scathing of Faith, mocking her reaction to Macklemore and questioning her political credentials. In the end, he also praised Pink for speaking out, who has been at the centre of backlash for her outspoken views on the issue.
The criticism comes as Sheeran faces calls to remove Macklemore from the remaining dates of his Loop Tour. Sheeran has not publicly responded to the backlash, while Macklemore has defended his remarks.
On the subject of @macklemore it's important to note that slogans such as 'Free Palestine' offer the appearance of moral courage without requiring much political knowledge. @edsheeran clearly has no spine and as for @Palomafaith and her stupid virtuous squealing of delight about…
— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) September 7, 2026
Macklemore Takes a Political Stand
Macklemore made the controversial comments during his opening performances for Sheeran at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on 4 and 5 September.
Wearing a keffiyeh, the rapper told the crowd that one of the reasons he wanted to join the tour was to use stadium stages to say 'Free Palestine'. He then performed 'Hind's Hall', his 2024 protest song inspired by pro-Palestinian student demonstrations at Columbia University. Footage relating to Gaza and the campus protests appeared on the screens behind him.
The performance quickly divided the audience. Some concertgoers applauded Macklemore for using his platform to speak about human rights, while others said they had not expected political messaging during Sheeran's concert. The Israeli-American Council subsequently launched a petition calling for Macklemore to be removed from the remaining tour dates.
Macklemore has since doubled down on his position. In a social media post, he said: 'Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial,' and stressed that criticism of Israel was not criticism of Jewish people.
Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial. pic.twitter.com/BOJ9xMoIZn
— Macklemore (@macklemore) September 7, 2026
Inside Boy George's Israel Views
Boy George's criticism of Macklemore is also notable because of his own increasingly vocal support for Israel.
In July, the singer released 'We Will Dance Again', which is a pro-Israel song inspired by the 7 October 2023 attack on the Nova music festival. In the song, George rejects the characterisation of Israel's military campaign in Gaza as genocide and criticises musicians who have condemned Israel.
George also performed in Israel in 2017 and expressed affection for the country, but he previously said his decision to perform there was about his fans rather than politics. His political comments on the conflict have become much more explicit in recent years.
Artists Caught in the Debate
The row involving George, Pink, Macklemore and Sheeran has renewed debate over how artists should respond to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Macklemore has used his platform to advocate for Palestinian rights, while critics of his MetLife performance argued that the concert was not an appropriate setting for political messaging. Meanwhile, George has taken an increasingly pro-Israel position and has criticised fellow musicians who support the Palestinian cause.
With Sheeran yet to publicly address the dispute, attention remains focused on the British singer. For now, what began as a few minutes of political commentary during a concert has turned into another very public battle over music, activism and where artists should draw the line.
