I’m seeing people speak about the conflict in the Gaza Strip in droves for the first time since a ceasefire was announced nearly a year ago – and, surprisingly, it’s all thanks to Macklemore.

On Sept. 14, the rapper was removed as the opening act from Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour after making pro-Palestine comments at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. What followed was a media firestorm that put the issue back at the forefront of American conversation.

“The truth is, a big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I can stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine,” Macklemore said, according to social media posts from the Sept. 4 concert.

He made the remarks before performing his song “Hind’s Hall,” written in support of the Columbia University students who occupied a campus building to urge the school to divest from Israel.

The ensuing conversation has brought the conflict, which has killed nearly 74,000 Palestinians since the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, back to the United States at a time when President Donald Trump has proposed selling 40,000 bombs to Israel and reconstruction of the region is stalled.

While the politicians in charge assume that everyone has forgotten about the conflict in Gaza, the unfolding story from Sheeran’s tour is a sign that people still care about what has happened and continues to........

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