He said he wanted to “address the question of where I stand in the situation in Israel and Palestine, and whether my doing this concert here tonight implies where I stand”.
“I have tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind, because I want my music and shows to be about unity, not division”, he continued. “But this is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.”
Sheeran said what happened in Israel on 7 October was “horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain”, and what was happening in Gaza was “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate”.
“My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilian lives, of children’s lives, and this systemic injustice we’re seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.”
He said he was working out how to contribute in a way that would help “victims of these terrible times – and listening and learning, because I do not know enough”.
The British singer became emotional as he told the crowd his concert was “still a place where everyone is welcome, and everyone here can stand beside people that have opposing views”.
He said that he had not known “whether this tour would be carrying on” and “whether I even wanted to be an artist at all”, but that he had returned to the stage because he was committed to his fans.
Sheeran has been contacted for comment on Church’s remarks.
