Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour prompted other artists to walk away and brought fresh attention and donations to Palestinian aid. An attempt to contain his message ended up amplifying it – a sign that speaking up for Palestine is becoming harder to silence.

For decades, Israel’s greatest advantage in the West was not simply military or political support. It was narrative power.

Israel and its supporters enjoyed enormous influence over the boundaries of acceptable discussion about Palestine: which violent incident received attention, whose security mattered the most, which historical context was relevant and, crucially, what criticism of Israel could be allowed in public.

That power has not disappeared. But the extraordinary controversy surrounding Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s US tour shows how rapidly it is eroding.

The fact that the American rapper was dropped from the tour after he spoke about Palestine on stage meant that the old system worked. A powerful billionaire objected. Venues applied pressure. The artist disappeared from the stage.

What was different this time was the backlash.

In response to the censorship, every remaining support act on Sheeran’s tour walked away. Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga all withdrew. Meanwhile, ticket prices for Sheeran’s remaining concerts plunged, in some cases losing 50 per cent of their value, as many fans felt........

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