Archewell Foundation Cuts Funding to Muslim Women’s Group Over Pro-Palestine Remarks

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Archewell Foundation has halted its financial support to a prominent U.S.-based Muslim women’s organization after pro-Palestinian statements made by its founder, Janan Najeeb, came to light—igniting debate around the limits of advocacy, the silencing of Muslim voices, and the cost of standing up for Palestinian human rights.

Since 2023, Archewell had extended two grants totaling approximately $55,700 to the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition (MMWC), a nonprofit led by Najeeb, a Palestinian-American woman known for decades of community leadership.The funds were designated for The Welcome Project, which supports Afghan women resettling in Milwaukee.

Janan Najeeb

The relationship was abruptly severed after U.S. broadcaster NewsNation contacted the foundation earlier this month with concerns over Najeeb’s political writings—specifically, her criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza and her call for Palestinian liberation. 

In a 2024 blog post, Najeeb wrote, “Israel’s 75-year occupation of Palestine and the genocide in Gaza are a grave injustice. We demand a permanent ceasefire, an end to arming the apartheid state of Israel and the liberation of Palestine. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever.”

In a letter to Najeeb, foundation executives James Holt and Shauna Nep stated, “We celebrate different perspectives and backgrounds, but we have zero tolerance for hateful words, actions, or propaganda.” The decision has drawn backlash, with critics accusing Archewell of conflating Palestinian rights advocacy with hate speech.

Ironically, this decision came after Najeeb had publicly expressed her gratitude to Archewell in 2023, noting, “We took swift and impactful action in response to the war in Gaza. Our efforts, alongside other Wisconsin-based organizations, aimed to raise awareness and demand human rights for Palestinians.”

Queen Elizabeth II

This episode also scrutinizes the British monarchy’s relationship with Israel and Palestine. Queen Elizabeth II famously never made an official visit to Israel, a stance many attribute to the violent legacy of the British Mandate period and the Zionist insurgency. 

Former Israeli President Reuven Rivlin claimed the Queen believed “every Israeli is either a terrorist or the child of one.” During a 1984 visit to Jordan, she reportedly remarked “What a depressing map” when shown illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

King Charles has faced his own controversies. In a 1986 letter revealed in 2017, he expressed sympathy for the Arab view of Israel, writing,

“I hadn’t realized they view it as a U.S. colony… I now appreciate that Arabs and Jews are all originally Semitic people… but the influx of foreign European Jews (especially from Poland, as they say) has helped cause great problems.”

He went on to state , “Surely some U.S. president has to have the courage to stand up to the Jewish lobby in the United States?”

For Harry and Meghan , who have positioned themselves as champions of social justice—the decision to defund a Muslim women’s group over pro-Palestine statements has raised questions about their commitment to marginalized voices.