Last night, while performing at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, country music star Zach Bryan and his band sported "Free Palestine" t-shirts. Bryan's drummer Nate Head wore a t-shirt bearing the name of Hind Rajab, the 5-year-old girl allegedly killed by the IDF which Israel is currently probing.
It remains to be seen if this was a one-night only gesture as Bryan is scheduled to perform a second concert at Gillette this evening. In which case it could be argued Bryan and his band merely may be objecting to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's removal Macklemore from Ed Sheeran's U.S. tour for shouting "Free Palestine" during a concert at The Meadowlands earlier this month on free speech grounds.
But even if Bryan and his band don't don the apparel at other tour stops, the fact remains that when I see someone, anyone, wear a "Free Palestine" t-shirt the message I see is "Kill Jews". When people make the Free Palestine statement, they are not clamoring for Gaza to be freed from Hamas. Wearing a Free Palestine t-shirt once is enough to convince me that you wish my people harm.
In which case, were Macklemore to take his Free Palestine tour to this country, it would not shock me if Zach Bryan were to join his Artists for Anti-Semitism cavalcade.
Like many who don Free Palestine apparel, I doubt Zach Bryan could find Gaza on a map. But like all demagogic movements, Free Palestine is built on the pillars of hate and ignorance.
Bryan and his band might be part of the latter pillar. Hell, this might have nothing to do with Macklemore at all. They might just want to be trendy. It could be the case that wearing a Free Palestine t-shirt is current day equivalent of wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt. Yet statements borne out of ignorance have a way of turning actions driven by hatred.
In which case, Zach Bryan has become the latest in a long line of useful idiots. Sadly, this line gets longer with every passing day.
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