Coldplay frontman Chris Martin found himself at the centre of a flashpoint on Sunday night after two Israeli women he invited onstage at Wembley Stadium were met with loud boos from sections of the crowd.The women, identified as Avia and Tal, revealed their nationality after Martin asked where they were from. The answer drew a split reaction — jeers from some, applause from others.“Okay, well listen — I’m very grateful that you’re here as humans, and I am treating you as equal humans on earth, regardless of where you come from or don’t come from,” Martin told them. He quickly added a message to Palestinians as well, saying: “Although it’s controversial maybe, I also want to welcome people in the audience from Palestine… out of the belief that we’re all equal humans.” His attempt to calm tensions was met with cheers.But the exchange quickly spilt onto social media, drawing a flood of sharply divided reactions.
Criticism of Martin’s response
Some accused the singer of unnecessarily politicising the women’s identity.“Israeli fans shouldn’t need to be reassured that they’re ‘human.’ That’s insulting. The boos should’ve been addressed, not the girls,” one critic said.“Chris Martin turned them into political pawns. They just wanted to enjoy the music,” another argued.Journalist Eve Barlow wrote: “You were once married tColdplay frontman accused of politicizing Israeli fanso a proud Jew, the mother of your children. Gwyneth Paltrow has stood up since October 7 — you should take her lead.”Others argued Martin’s words, while well-meaning, only spotlighted the women in a way that made them targets. “He probably thought he was doing the right thing, but ended up making them carry the weight of a war they didn’t ask to represent,” one user commented.
Support for Martin’s message
At the same time, many defended the singer, praising his attempt at inclusivity.“He is right, good for him. He actually has some humanity,” one supporter said.“He was telling the crowd exactly what they needed to hear,” another added.One user argued: “Not his fault — his intent was genuine. It’s not easy to stand on that fault line without taking sides.”
Fans’ fear on stage
In an interview with Israel’s Kan broadcaster, one of the women admitted she had briefly considered hiding her nationality. “There was a split second we thought of saying we were from Malta, but we didn’t want to lie. It was scary that 90,000 people suddenly knew we were Israeli, but we said it,” she said.
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