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Ed Sheeran’s tour needs new opening acts. On Sept. 4, one of the pop star’s openers, Seattle-bred rapper Macklemore, gave a speech in which he called for a “free Palestine” and also said the words “genocide” and “apartheid” when talking about Israel. (He also called for several other peoples to be free, all around the world, including in Cuba and Sudan.) This all sat poorly with one of the most influential owners in the NFL, whose stadium is set to host Sheeran later this month. Soon, Sheeran agreed to drop Macklemore from his tour, and Sheeran’s other openers quit in solidarity.

Following this scuffle, the heads of some of the biggest Jewish organizations in the country want you to know how happy they are that this happened, or even that they themselves worked to make it happen. Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots and founder of the “Blue Square Alliance Against Hate,” not only didn’t deny that he had prohibited Macklemore from performing at his stadium but confirmed it with zest. Kraft said Macklemore’s appearance would “cross that line” between a welcoming environment and hate speech.

The billionaire didn’t address a claim by Macklemore that Kraft had whipped up support from other NFL owners whose stadiums host Sheeran’s tour to ice out the opening act altogether. But Jonathan Greenblatt, the head of the Anti-Defamation League, made no secret of his desire for venue operators to do just that: “We encourage stadium owners and venue management to demonstrate their values,” he wrote, a few days before Macklemore was indeed nixed. He then got what he wanted. “Glad to see Macklemore off Ed Sheeran’s tour,” Greenblatt said. “For years, Macklemore has pushed antisemitic tropes and demonized Israel and Israelis. Now he certainly has the 1A right to speak out and express his views, but demonizing Jews and Israelis shouldn’t be rewarded.” The Israeli American Council had also petitioned for Sheeran to drop Macklemore.

These organizations are playing a dangerous game. For one thing, they are smart enough to know that their approach risks becoming recruiting fodder for the worst antisemites in the world, the ones who thrive on tropes about Jews exerting influence on media and culture. But they are willing to risk it, because of the second problem:........

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