American rapper Macklemore was dropped from the remaining dates he was scheduled to open for Ed Sheeran on the US leg of the singer’s Loop Tour following an overtly pro-Palestinian performance at MetLife Stadium that alienated many Jewish concertgoers, the tour’s promoter said Monday.

Messina Touring Group, which promotes the US leg of Sheeran’s tour, told Rolling Stone in a statement that venues hosting upcoming dates had told the company they would not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup.

“As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s US Loop Tour, we have been notified by venues on the upcoming US tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans,” the company said.

“After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.”

Macklemore had been scheduled to open for Sheeran at eight of the 10 remaining shows on the US stadium tour, which is set to resume in Philadelphia on September 19.

The Israeli-American Council (IAC), which launched a petition on September 7 calling for Macklemore’s removal from the tour, welcomed Monday’s decision. The group said the petition had gathered tens of thousands of signatures and generated millions of social media impressions.

“The Israeli-American community has proven that when it stands united — its voice is heard,” the group said. “Freedom of........

© The Times of Israel