Coldplay frontman Chris Martin is being accused of "dehumanizing" Israeli fans onstage during the band’s concert at Wembley Stadium in London last Sunday, reports the Washington Examiner.
Martin, 48, invited two women to join him on stage and asked where they were from. When they said Israel, Martin responded: "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."
He then told the crowd: "Although it’s controversial, maybe, I also want to welcome people in the audience from Palestine, out of the belief we’re all equal humans."
Eve Barlow, a Jewish journalist, said the moment was "mortifying."
"Imagine being called up to be celebrated as fans of your favorite band, and it is turned into an opportunity to qualify your existence in front of an audience of tens of thousands," Barlow wrote on X.
Dr. Casey Babb, an international fellow at Israeli security think tank INSS, accused Martin of making the women feel "dehumanized and guilty of being Jewish."
"Instead of supporting them and treating them like you would any other fans — with dignity, respect, and kindness — you made them feel conditionally tolerated, dehumanized, and guilty of being Jewish," Babb wrote on X.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.