Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's charity has reportedly cut ties with a Muslim charity after its founder made anti-Israel comments. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Archewell Foundation has pulled funding to Milwaukee-based Muslim Women’s Coalition (MMWC), with its founder, Janan Najeeb, saying it was due to an opinion piece she had authored about Palestine.

MMWC aims to "empower Muslim women and girls through education, leadership, outreach, and wellness programs, helping them reach their fullest potential". In February 2024, Ms Najeeb published an opinion piece on the Wisconsin Muslim Journal, in which she claimed that "Israel’s 75-year occupation of Palestine and the genocide in Gaza are a grave injustice". She added: "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."

US media, including the New York Post and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, reported that tax filings for 2023 showed Archewell had given a £21,077 ($27,960) grant. The charity's 2024 tax records are not yet available but Ms Najeeb claimed that the grant for that year was of a similar amount.

The money was reportedly "earmarked" to help the coalition support the Afghan Women’s Sewing Group and Support Circle - a group about women refugees from Afghanistan who have relocated to Milwaukee.

But after Ms Najeeb's opinion piece, Archewell withdrew its funding from the coalition, claiming her comments "went against" the charity's "values.

A letter dated April 9, 2025, by the Archewell Foundation addressed to Ms Najeeb was published on an online fundraiser for the women's coalition and read: "We have recently been notified of an online opinion piece you wrote that goes against the values of The Archewell Foundation.

"As a foundation, we celebrate different perspectives and backgrounds but we have zero tolerance for hateful words, actions, or propaganda.

"We will be removing MMWC from our networks effective today. At this time, the foundation will be making no additional grants to MMWC."

But Ms Najeeb hit back at Harry and Meghan's charity and wrote in her own letter: "I make no apology for standing up for human rights and speaking out against dehumanisation of all people, including Palestinians."

She told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Archwell's axe was part of a "broader trend" of organisations distancing themselves from pro-Palestinian views "for fear of retribution".

She said: "It’s unfortunate that a funder like the Archewell decided to cave in so quickly.

"This is not unusual. This is in line with what’s happening around the country."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been contacted for comment.