Drake's Dad Defends Rapper's Silence On Israel-Palestine

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2017 Billboard Music Awards - Show
LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 21: Recording artist Drake (L) accepts the Top Artist award with his father Dennis Graham during the 2017 Billboard Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena on May 21, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Dennis Graham said celebs are "damned either way" when it comes to commenting on hot-button issues.

Drake's father Dennis Graham has said he fully supports his son's decision to remain silent on Israel-Palestine. Speaking with TMZ, Graham said that celebrities always get backlash when they speak on hot-button issues and he imagined that Drake speaking on the Middle East conflict would be no different. Celebrities are "damned either way" he lamented during the conversation.

The Canadian rapper has gotten a fair amount of heat for being one of the most notable figures not to release a statement about the ongoing conflict. DJ Vlad in particular has gone hard on Drake's silence. “Has anyone noticed that the most famous Jewish person on Earth, Drake, and the most famous Palestinian person on Earth, DJ Khaled, haven't said a single thing about the Gaza-Israel conflict?  It's not like Drake is too busy. He's been writing paragraphs about Joe Budden hurting his feelings about his new album.  DJ Khaled has been working overtime promoting his new Jordan sneakers. But both of them have been silent on this topic. Why is that?” Vlad asked. In a follow-up statement, he said that he had called them out because "their voices are powerful".

Israel-Palestine: Lastest Updates

While Drake remains silent, the situation in Gaza grows ever more dire. A UN report suggests that fuel supplies in the enclave will only last another two days, putting already overcrowded hospitals at further risk. Meanwhile, the IDF has ordered over 1 million inhabitants of northern Gaza to evacuate to the south. However, many are afraid to do this after reports emerged of Israel bombing refugee convoys.

Elsewhere, Israeli troops are amassing on the Gazan border with a ground operation expected in the coming days. Furthermore, a Reuters videographer was killed when an Israeli shell hit a gathering of multi-national journalists covering fighting on the southern Lebanon border. Six others, who have been identified as Reuters, Al-Jazeera, and Agence France-Presse employees, were wounded in the incident. Overall, over 3600 people have died in the week following a brutal Hamas incursion into Israel. Additionally, Palestinian officials state that their death toll has already made it the greatest loss of life from the Palestinian side in any conflict with Israel to date.

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About The Author
Benjamin Mock (they/them) is a sports and culture writer working out of Philadelphia. Previously writing for the likes of Fixture, Dexerto, Fragster, and Jaxon, Ben has dedicated themselves to engaging and accessible articles about sports, esports, and internet culture. With a love for the weirder stories, you never quite know what to expect from their work.
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