Chris Martin has been accused of “dehumanising” Israeli fans during a Coldplay concert at Wembley Stadium.
The singer asked two women on to the stage and asked where they were from. When they replied “Israel” it drew boos and some applause from spectators.
A clip of the interaction, which went viral online, shows the two nervous fans, identified only as Avia and Yael, with Martin, who also welcomed any Palestinians in the 90,000-strong crowd.
Martin said: “I’m going to say this. I’m very grateful that you’re here as humans. We are treating you as equal humans on Earth, regardless of where you come from.
“Thank you for being here. We’re grateful and thank you for being loving and kind.
“Although it’s controversial, maybe, I also want to welcome people in the audience from Palestine.
“I believe that we’re all equally human.”
Martin’s remarks were met with criticism from some parts of the Jewish community who felt he embarrassed the fans.
‘Mortifying moment’
Eve Barlow, a Zionist journalist, said she “cannot even begin to unpack how mortifying that moment must have been” for the two fans.
Yaakov Langer, a Jewish YouTuber, described Martin’s comments as “disgusting”.
He said: “Coldplay invited two women on stage then berates them and makes them feel bad for … being Israeli.
“He didn’t mention the hostages being held by Hamas. He didn’t actually treat them like human beings.”
Casey Babb, an academic, said the singer turned “what should have been a night of celebration, awe, and excitement” into “an evening of humiliation, confusion and sadness because you lack even the most basic understanding of the things you preach”.
“Instead of supporting them and treating them like you would any other fans – with dignity, respect, and kindness – you made them feel conditionally tolerated, dehumanised and guilty of being Jewish,” Babb posted.
Maccabee Task Force, a not-for-profit organisation that supports Zionist college students, said while Martin “attempted to be kind to two Israeli fans” he “still unnecessarily politicised the moment”.
Martin’s representatives were approached for comment by The Telegraph.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
