Harry and Meghan’s Archewell whithdraws donations to a Muslim Charity over Palestinian comments

[Thedom]

I suspect Harry and Meghan are using Archewell to keep some influential people onside. More hypocrisy from them.

https://www.cair.com/pressreleases/muslim-womens-coalition-responds-to-archewell-foundations-public-withdrawal-of-support-reaffirms-commitment-to-justice-and-human-rights/

sorry can’t correct spelling mistake in title

“It is important to note that the editorials Archewell’s letter references are one year old, which suggests that it was not the pieces that triggered the defunding, but more recent third-party pressure, consistent with the current trend of anti-Palestinian groups like Betar and others targeting government, private foundations, schools and employers to purge and censor anti-genocide voices.”

the response in full.

Dear James Holt and Shauna Nep,

First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude for your support of our Afghan Women’s Sewing Group and Support Circle. The program has had a transformative impact. With your resources, the Muslim Women’s Coalition led efforts that strengthened mental health, restored purpose, and built community among women who have already endured so much.

It is in that spirit that I write to express my deep disappointment regarding the Foundation’s decision to revoke funding in response to an independent opinion piece I authored on Gaza. To suggest that the piece constitutes hate speech or propaganda is, at best, a profound misrepresentation.

Israel’s treatment of Palestinians has been described as apartheid by all credible human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, as well as some Israeli organizations such as B’Tselem and Yesh Din. These findings are echoed by UN Special Rapporteurs and legal scholars. Concerns about crimes against humanity and genocide have been widely documented and are grounded in international law.

We are unwavering in our commitment to justice, dignity, and human rights for all people, including Palestinians. The article in question was published on the front page of the Op-Ed section of the multiple Pulitzer Prize winning Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin’s largest circulated newspaper. A paper of that caliber does not publish material promoting hate, violence, or propaganda.

We live in a time when peaceful advocacy for Palestinian human rights is frequently and unjustly mischaracterized. Criticizing the policies of a government is not antisemitism. Antisemitism is hostility or prejudice toward Jewish individuals or communities, something I unequivocally reject. In fact, Jewish-led organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace have been at the forefront of the protests and encampments I referenced in my opinion piece. To conflate political critique of Zionism with antisemitism is not only inaccurate, it undermines the meaning of both concepts.
There is painful irony in your decision to withdraw support from Afghan women, many of them war survivors, because the leader of a women’s organization dared to speak out against the creation of more war survivors. The people enduring the crisis in Gaza are exactly those your mission claims to support. How can it be against your mission and values to advocate for their safety and dignity?

If your foundation stipulates that grant recipients must sit idly by as a genocide is broadcast live on their television screens, then we too regret to inform you that our values do not align. If your foundation believes that calling for the freedom of a people from oppression is “hateful,” if these people happen to be Palestinian, then we too regret to inform you that our values do not align.

I make no apology for standing up for human rights and speaking out against dehumanization of all people, including Palestinians. In the very Op-Ed in question, I wrote:
“Jews refuse to have their beautiful faith conflated with the genocidal actions of a racist apartheid government and are actively speaking out against Israel. These young Jews believe ‘never again’ means never again for everyone, not just Jews.”

How is that antisemitic? Only in a world where the definition of antisemitism is distorted to silence dissent.

Silencing women of color who speak out against injustice perpetuates the very harm your foundation purports to address. Yielding to pressure from Islamophobic and anti-Arab “media” compromises your credibility and undermines your mission. In choosing PR over principle, you betray the communities you claim to uplift.

Who you fund is ultimately your decision, but we ask that you retract your defamatory statements and issue a public apology, not to salvage our reputation, which remains pristine, but to salvage yours. With MWC’s proven track record—driven by Jewish, Muslim, and Christian staff—we are confident that more credible foundations and generous donors will continue to support this vital work.

Respectfully,
Janan Najeeb

Thanks for starting this thread. I missed it yesterday but I haven’t been on MN as much lately.

There doesn’t seem to be much discussion of this yet, or is it being discussed on other threads do you know?

Personally I’m fascinated by the Harry / Invictus / Israel / Russian-Israeli oligarch entanglement, and why he’s visited two out of the three countries that are the most recent joiners of Invictus (Nigeria and Colombia), but not the third, Israel. I think he’s frit of the optics, not of drinking orange juice in Tel Aviv.

And now running parallel there’s this intriguing gaffe and withdrawal of funding from the Muslim Women’s Coalition. Questions are being asked about Archewell’s apparent confusion over free speech and alleged ‘hate speech’.

Many members of the Sussex Squad are deeply unimpressed around what they now believe is H&M’s shitty attitude toward Palestine and they are online saying so. I don’t know if the Squad have clicked yet that in addition, Harry and Invictus very openly support the Israeli IDF through its membership of the ‘Invictus family’ which IDF spokespersons have used to give their veterans a shared legitimacy with veterans from the US and UK and other countries.

An interesting video from the Sidley Twins was posted by them on You Tube yesterday, called 'TWiN TALK: the Sussex Squad are turning on Harry & Meghan' if anyone wants to google it. Nancy Sidley has been collecting many of the reactions to the situation from petty well-known Squad members, like Meredith whats-her-face, and both Sidleys chat about it all.

They note that even their supporter Misan Harriman has gone quiet on the Sussexes and that he has unpinned his photo of Meg on Instagram. Harriman, chair of governors of the registered arts charity the South Bank Centre, is open about his staunch pro-Palestine stance.

This appears to be the position of many of the Sussex Squad, and explains why many of them appear to be pivoting from seeing the Sussexes as underdogs to opening their eyes and seeing another couple of royal pro-colonial oppressors.

Other names of u-turning Squad tik-tokkers, You Tubers, Instagrammers and X-users that I caught on the Sidleys' video were Murad Merali, Dee D, Sally Taylor (sally_taylosversion), meredithconstant, mrc and ranilipton.

Typical comment from a u-turning Squadder:

'If you're going to leave the monarchy, and brand yourselves as progressive and denounce colonialism, then back it up' - mrc.

Woke has come for the Sussexes.

The Sidleys are planning a 'live' for tomorrow with more examples and discussion.

(Btw I tried to include the link to the Sidley Twins video but it didn't work. But it's google-able.)

Apparently this is archwell’s response!

Whether they are right or wrong, this is the danger of expressing a political opinion, especially one as divisive as this. It’s bad enough when you’re a working royal and it affects public opinion. It can be disastrous if you’re involved in public facing charities and business endeavours because opponents will hit you where it hurts.

I wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of the Sussex Squad, they seem unhinged!

The appearance that is being given, according to many Squadders, is that H&M and Archewell are in the pocket of Israel / Israeli funding.

What passes for online debate on this is utterly toxic and divisive and I wonder what H&M's new press/PR spokesperson is doing about this. It's been an absolute shit show of ball-dropping lately.

There's also speculation about H&M's friends and their interests.

I don’t know the validity of these comments but it’s circulating that the points made in archwells statement are not correct and that it was one of the founder ladies brothers who posted them anyway! And it wasn’t anything to do with the actual charity itself!
there is also talk of the Sussex’s being sued for defamation , however I’m unclear if this is related to this event!
of course this could all be sm drivel!!

This is a decent enough explanation, I suppose

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-14625131/Charity-boss-accuses-Harry-Meghan-choosing-PR-principle-cut-funding-group.html

Looks like it:

https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/muslim-womens-charity-response-prince-harry-megan-markle/

'Their activism is performative' - ouch.

Interesting @TheAutumnCrow! , I always try to take things circulating with a pinch of salt but lately it does seem like journalists jobs are being done by the average Joe on the internet!!!

This article pictures the mural under discussion, created by Janan Najeeb’s brother, Ihsan Atta, which some posters may or may not find offensive.

nypost.com/2025/04/17/us-news/meghan-markle-and-prince-harry-pull-funding-from-muslim-charity-over-leaders-anti-israel-writings/

Well yes that mural is antisemitism embodied! , however it was clearly stated that it was her brother!
and it’s a bit tone deaf for Harry’s spokesman to highlight this particular symbol in light of his past adventures!

This is the problem with being politically active and run charities. It is almost impossible to keep in with everyone. Israel/ Palestine is a complex subject, anyone who gives a simplistic answer doesn't understand the thousands of years of backstory. Of course Harry and Meghan were going to come a cropper, they only deal in soundbites.

They are in over their heads on this, including James Holt. There’s an enormous gap between the mainstream view of this in the USA and the U.K., and what’s acceptable to say here and what isn’t. This has to be seen in the context of Trump’s actions in the USA on immigration, funding for colleges and the dept of education, foreign policy and ultimately his view of the rule of law. This is absolutely a defining issue for the entire country (I live in the USA). I would STRONGLY advise this foundation to pay for the best advice they can get (better than they’re receiving now) on how to handle this, and actually follow that advice (some to int they have a track record of not doing). Failing that, they should just stay silent, although I fear that horse has bolted. What a mess. Harry the truth seeker and dragon slayer looks an even bigger fool whining over personal security and the British media on the one hand, and having his foundation issue this sort of stuff about Israel/palestine on the other. They’re such idiots.

Imagine how Jose Andres must feel, he lost 7 world central kitchen volunteers, killed in an Israeli drone attack on their convoy in the Gaza.

@HiRenI agree that they are in over their heads. Again another example of how stupid they were to have flounced off and abandoned the top level expertise and advice they had available when working royals. However I do feel that the main problem with those two is they don’t really know what they stand for.

That response is outrageous, the image they mention had nothing to do with the person they were addressing I wonder if James Holt and Shauna Nep wii
have to fall on their sword for Harry and Meghan?

The photo of Harry in his Nazi costume is trending again, they are stumbling from one disaster to another, useless and clueless, their arrogance is destroying them.

Misan Harriman, posted this quote a few hours ago on his Instagram, it’s from a book by Omar El Akkad about the war in Gaza. Very pointed quote considering how he has been a staunch supporter of H&M

The moral component of history, the most necessary component, is simply a single question, asked over and over again: When it mattered, who sided with justice and who sided with power? What makes moments such as this one so dangerous, so clarifying, is that one way or another everyone is forced to answer.”

― Omar El Akkad, One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This

Accurate as ever, MrsLF - though in response to a PP's post I confess I'd forgotten they've got a new PR person

God knows what she's doing probably rocking in a corner

They can employ as many PR people as they want but if they don’t listen , there’s no point in throwing away money from what I imagine is a dwindling bank balance.

Typical SS response - it's never H&Ms fault. It's always someone else to blame.