FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said Monday he had rapper Macklemore removed as an opening act for Ed Sheeran's shows at Gillette Stadium later this month because the stadium "has a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech."

"Based on Macklemore's recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran's shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, we determined that his participation in the September 25th and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line," Kraft said in a statement shared with ESPN.

During shows at Met Life Stadium on Sept. 4 and 5, Macklemore shared pro-Palestinian views about the war in Gaza while on stage. He advocated for Palestinian freedom and performed his protest song against the war, "Hind's Hall," which in part describes Israel's actions in the region as "genocide."

Macklemore, 43, said on social media Monday that Sheeran informed him Kraft wouldn't allow Macklemore to perform at Gillette Stadium. Macklemore also said Sheeran told him that Kraft rallied other stadium owners to make the same decision and that Macklemore was subsequently dropped from the tour. The 85-year-old Kraft, who is Jewish, said his decision "is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf."