🇵🇸🇮🇪 Heimir Hallgrímsson, the Icelandic manager of the Irish national team, has drawn criticism from the Israel Football Association following comments he made to The 42 ahead of the matches against Israel. 📌 While maintaining his criticism of Israel’s participation in UEFA competitions, Hallgrímsson said no one had been able to explain to him why Israel had not faced sanctions similar to those imposed on Russia, which was banned from UEFA competitions. 📌 Amid public calls in Ireland to cancel the matches against Israel, Hallgrímsson said his team was obliged to take the field. Expressing his opposition to Israel’s status in international football, he said: “We aren't playing against a genocide; we are playing against Israel.” 📌 Hallgrímsson’s comments regarding Israel’s atrocities in Gaza drew a strong response from the Israel Football Association. Rather than directly addressing the genocide allegations, the association pointed to Nobel Prizes awarded to Israelis and cited what it described as Israel’s contributions to the world and humanity. The association also accused Hallgrímsson of “stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy.”
🎤 🇬🇧 Ed Sheeran told a crowd of around 50,000 in Philadelphia that he had felt abandoned by friends, family and people close to him during a difficult week marked by widespread discussion over his position on the Palestine issue. The singer made the remarks while addressing criticism surrounding the removal of rapper Macklemore from his tour. Sheeran said the situation had caused him to reassess his career and question who he could depend on, telling fans: “I'm feeling all of my friends and family and people I know abandon me.”
For years, Jews accused or convicted of child sexual abuse in the US and elsewhere have used Israel's Law of Return, which grants automatic citizenship to Jewish ancestry, to relocate and avoid prosecution. Jewish Community Watch has documented more than 60 such cases since it began tracking them in 2014, and believes the true figure is significantly higher. Among the most cited cases: Malka Leifer, accused of sexually abusing more than 70 students at a Melbourne school, spent 13 years fighting extradition to Australia before being returned in 2021. Gershon Kranczer, wanted in New York, evaded prosecution in Israel for over a decade before his extradition the same year.
Ed Sheeran has said there is a reason he does not use his professional platform for politics, yet in 2022 he used that platform to headline a Concert for Ukraine, raise funds for humanitarian relief and declare, “I stand with Ukraine.” Critics have also accused him of framing the Gaza genocide as a mere “conflict,” and a photo of him meeting an Israeli hostage held since October 7 has resurfaced amid the criticism.
Robert Kraft says Ed Sheeran will donate $2 million to Palestinian humanitarian relief, and that he will match the amount himself. In a statement posted to Gillette Stadium's account, Kraft said Sheeran called him earlier Wednesday to propose the matching donation, though neither side specified which organizations would receive the funds. Kraft said he has "dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people," adding that all lives are worth protecting. He noted he has spent decades supporting programs that bring young Palestinians and Israelis together on business and job initiatives, and confirmed Sheeran plans to reach out to other venue owners to expand the effort. The pledges follow Macklemore's announcement Wednesday that he would donate $1 million in net earnings from Sheeran's Loop Tour to Palestinian relief organizations, days after being dropped from the tour. Macklemore said he was removed after making pro-Palestinian remarks onstage, including a political speech at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, and has accused Kraft of pressuring other venues to bar him.
Macklemore has pledged $1 million, his full net earnings from Ed Sheeran's tour to six Palestinian relief organizations, days after he was dropped from the tour over his pro-Palestinian stage performances. In an Instagram statement, he said he wanted to "bring the conversation back where it belongs." Robert Kraft, the New England Patriots owner accused by Macklemore of pushing venues to drop him, responded by saying Sheeran had already asked him to match $2 million for the region. Kraft said he was not trying to silence Palestinian advocacy but objected to what he called offensive rhetoric toward the Jewish community, adding that he has long directed resources toward Palestinians as well.
🇬🇷🏠 A real estate advertisement aimed at Israeli buyers is attracting attention at Athens International Airport, where it promotes apartments in Greece starting at around €90,000. The ad, displayed in the arrivals area of Eleftherios Venizelos Airport, carries the slogan “Don’t go home without a home in Greece” and is associated with Palmo Group, a company targeting Israeli investors interested in Greek property. Israeli real estate firms and investors have been increasingly active in Greece, particularly in Athens and Thessaloniki, buying, renovating and managing properties.