New England Patriots owner, philanthropist and committed Jew, Robert Kraft, did the right thing in barring rapper Macklemore from performing as an opening act on Ed Sheeran’s “Loop Tour” following Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian statements made on stage at a New Jersey concert.  Kraft, who owns Gillette Stadium where the tour was scheduled to stop, also rallied other owners of similar venues to issue an ultimatum to Ed Sheeran: drop Macklemore, or lose the venues. Most of the other stadium owners joined Kraft and blocked Macklemore as well.

Kraft has come under a lot of criticism by those who defended Macklemore’s tight to express his opinion.  They cite the US Constitution’s 1st amendment which protects five core personal freedoms: religion, speech, the press, peaceful assembly, and the right to petition the government.

To be sure, Macklemore has the right to express any personal opinion.  Nevertheless, the owner of the venue where Macklemore chooses to do so also has the right not to make that venue available to him if the owner has a different viewpoint on the subject which right is also protected by the 1st Amendment.

Even more than that, Kraft is well aware that 372 years after the first Jews landed in New Amsterdam (now New York City) in 1654, history and antisemitism have finally caught up with........

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