Given the current shenanigans going on in the White House and King Donnie's reign of terror about to expand to legal residents and American citizens, no one in their right mind is sticking their head above the parapet. The fact that Janen has publicly criticised Israel when the current laws in both the USA and Europe and the UK equates criticism of Israel is antisemitic leaves her, the charity and anyone that supports her open to charges of antisemitism. It's a minefield out there, AIPAC has so much power they could easily turn on the Sussexes and Harry lose his visa. When a US senator has to go looking in an internment camp for someone that was abducted and deported and the President refused to have him brought back in violation of scotus ruling there's something very wrong with the US. It's unfortunate for the charity to lose funding but Muslims in the US who criticise Israel and/or the Trump administration are finding themselves being arrested, held and possibly deported. And it won't stop there, Trump is a spiteful individual and I can see his enemies disappearing.
The title of the article alone was enough for H&M to withdraw support: “From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever!”. The meaning of that phrase is open to interpretation and may be considered hurtful to Jewish people thus does not align with Archewell’s values. To some it advocates for the dismantling of Israel, and the removal of its Jewish population. I do not see Archewell’s withdrawal as a reason to no longer support H&M. Their foundation continues to do good work for the Muslim community.
• HELAL & HANIFA – WASHINGTON D.C. - gathering Afghan women in the Washington, D.C. and Arlington, VA area.
• ARTOGETHER – OAKLAND, CA - gathering women in the Bay Area through an Arts & Support group.
• NEW AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MASSACHUSETTS - bringing women together in Massachusetts through sewing gatherings
• REFUGEE WOMEN’S NETWORK – DECATUR, GA - bringing together women in Georgia through a weekend hiking and outdoor activity
no one is saying “don’t support harry and meghan” but if they see that phrase are hateful then they should do their own research on it. also, supporting muslim groups doesn’t equal supporting palestine. i know that we still do not know the full extent of their involvement in this situation (and honestly i don’t think it’s a lot since they’re technically are not in charge of archewell) but criticism needs to be had when needed. nothing janan said in the op-ed should be labelled as hate speech and propaganda, especially when recognised groups like the UN have said the same words.
Archwell enacting these actions and sending that letter is a normalization of Zionism and subsequently the apartheid and genocide of Palestinians. Meghan and Harry have had no issue deeply and personally associating themselves with the politically charged situation in Ukraine, but they refused to speak up when the World Food Kitchen Truck was targeted and staff murdered by Israel even though they have had a long standing relationship with that organization. This move was spineless and lacks dignity. As you said Meredith college students, a vulnerable population, have taken a moral stand against this culture of genocide and massacre, yet individuals and organizations with actual power refuse to do the bare minimum and stand against literal apartheid regimes. It was a poor move from Archwell and one that will haunt them in the history books.
And those college students are getting deported. Honestly not seeing a lot of college students protesting since that happened. Have seen a lot of them scrubbing their social media though.
Yeah, they’re scared and I get it. Archewell had every right to cut ties. But they didn’t need to play into a media outlet creating a story and running full speed with it. They could have quietly cut funding. This could have been handled a lot differently and I find that disappointing.
Actually it looks like they were trying to kill a story. It is not unreasonable to assume that if they could kill the angle they were coming at them for, none of this would have gotten press. The letter may be real, but are we sure Archwell leaked it?
Thank you Meredith for this article and highlighting the context in which the Janan Najeeb's op-ed was written. Context is key here. You asked the questions I wonder about.
I don't have a problem with them cutting funding. It's their charity and they have the right to cut or grant funding for whatever reason they choose. But I am disappointed in the way it was handled. The optics aren't great. It's not a great look to label an op-ed "hateful", "dangerous" and "propaganda" because it talks about Palestinian history and the need for Palestinian justice at a time when Palestinian voices are being silenced. Do I understand that the decision was made to protect themselves, their image and for their survival? Sure. But it says a lot about the times we live in.
I can see why people are disappointed with Archwell's decision. First of all, the article was written during the Biden administration and no one had an issue with it, but with this new administration, things have changed. Their charity could easily be targeted by this administration for something like still 'supporting' an organisation that wrote an article over a year ago. This could lead to the Charity being shutdown. Their employee's status in the US in jeopardy. Another one of Harry's life work being terminated. In the end, they don't want attention brought to themselves by putting out a statement. Honestly, I'm disappointed in the charity for milking the attention, when Archewell have supported them for over a year. They could have handled this differently. And I don't mean Archewell. They're just trying to survive.
I think placing the onus on the smaller charity with less power is kind of wild. They didn’t speak with a news outlet. They didn’t send a lengthy letter about why they were cutting funding. This became a story, in part, because of Archewell’s leaked response. How is it surprising that an organization, that just lost a big grant that’s become a news story for a year old op Ed, doesn’t use their voice to put out their side of things?
Hmm! Didn't the charity post their reply to Archewell on their IG page? Was that necessary? That's 'wild' in my opinion! They can be upset by Archewell's actions but they ARE entitled to do so. You missed the part about WHY they may have done so - the current political climate! You're an American, Harry isn't and with all the attention on his Visa application, you don't think they should be cautious? We can disagree on the PR aspect on this, but fundamentally, Archewell did what they had to do to survive!
Najeeb said she received a call from a different Archewell employee days before the email, inquiring about the article.
"A tabloid type journalist has contacted them and was threatening to write an article that was disparaging," Najeeb said. "These bullying tactics are meant to silence people."
Also the group is not suffering from the funding loss.
Seeing the reaction of the lady who heads the charity and her knee jerk reaction is to weaponize the hate for H&M, make me know that Archewell did well to cut ties!i am so happy she never got a chance to meet H&M but only dealt with the employees! I shudder to imagine the drama she would have caused if she had met H&M! She would have weaponized it if she had a photo!
One thing I know about H&M is they never do ‘kneejerk’ reactions! Their reactions to difficult situations is always thought through! I am certain they had good reasons!
And with the statement and the mural that the charity lady endorsed, Archewell’s decision makes sense! As I said, H&M are not hyper and dont react emotionally to stuff! That is why they usually make the best decisions that are right in the long term! Not short term gratification. This is why u were wrong @meredithconstant !
Angie I think we’re going to have to agree to disagree. Ultimately we are discussing two different things, which is ok. I hope you have a good rest of your weekend and Happy Easter if you celebrate.
This isn’t about being right or wrong. This is a difference of opinion over how something was handled. It isn’t about if they made a right or wrong decision, they can decide to cut funding for any reason they like. I was interested in what NewsNation reported and that they actually got the letter. And the actual response from Archewell, which has changed.
But I think we’re losing the plot if the reaction now is to ruin this woman and, by extension, hurt a charity that helps Afghan refugees.
no you are wrong. the mural is a valid reason for pulling funds however it should have been included in their initial letter. the only reason archewell made a second statement is because of the backlash they received. if they took a moment to actually think and not be pressured by outlets with ill intentions then they could have avoided all of this. yall need to allow valid criticism to be said when needed.
So it seems you are not aware that Janan actually was present at the press conference about the mural. She wrote and OP ed endorsing it and tweeted from the charity social media praising the mural.! So this is not just about being a brother.
which shows your bias and your refusal to allow any valid criticism of anything sussex related to happen. instead you attack anyone who says anything. that does nothing but hurt h&m
the lady is well within her right to public respond, especially since it was archewell who leaked their letter to newsnation and that’s how we knew about the matter. you can support harry and meghan but don’t let your support turn into blind loyalty where you’re attacking others. you don’t know the sussexes and the fact that they never do knee jerk reactions yet their foundation did one right now is very ironic
I think they want to keep their heads down for how the political climate is here in the US- I don’t blame them- they don’t need yet ANOTHER stupid thing to be hated for!
Respectfully I don’t think this is a stupid little thing. It definitely isn’t for the organization who lost funding. I also think we all lose when we frame it as H&M getting hated on. Asking questions or expressing disappointment in an org you generally align with isn’t hating or cancelling them.
You have a point, i do agree with you on that, however I still think they’re trying to be neutral, which imo, is probably the best course right now- sadly- even online for just the regular person there’s risks of showing too much of a opinion on something can get you in hot water with someone or other- you can’t win I guess.
respectfully, they called out oct 7 and now they made this decision. all of this without once acknowledging Palestinian suffering. this is political whether they like it or not.
Interesting. Curious if after they couldn’t get Harry out of the country because he did not lie on his visa application if this is a switch in tactics. Even a permanent US resident can get their status revoked for promoting or supporting terrorist groups. And no that isn’t a thing here or remotely anything that would hold up in a fair legal proceeding. But unfortunately that isn’t our current reality. They wouldn’t even have to deport him, just refuse him entry back into the country when he travels. In which case I wouldn’t expect any comment on a letter that was leaked to end run that.
In the America you have now it's better to be safe than sorry. It's also due to the constant scrutiny both are under - especially Meghan. Also remember Harry is being harassed by the Heritage Foundation.
This will sometimes impact the decisions made.
They might be appalled but they also know that sometimes hard decisions nerd to be made to protect the wider work of the organisation.
They are non-working royals, not a huge company with endless amounts of money. It was just a matter of time before this lady's past remarks came to light and they would be attacked for supporting her. They have to be non-political and this crossed the line.
I think it’s a stretch to think Harry would have been deported over this and honestly not a great excuse for how this was handled. Archewell was approached with this news story. They could have ignored it or said they were handling it and quietly removed funding, not even brought up the op Ed.
Let’s say for a second Harry was deported (unlikely, Trump isn’t going to start an international incident with a Prince). He has wealth and power that international students by contrast, deported over op Ed’s or engaging in protests, do not have
Respectfully, I disagree. The charity is supposed to be apolitical - and has been. This lady who posted her complaint about losing funding is well over the line.
How exactly do you expect them to handle these remarks? You must know that past comments will be scrutinized. H&M are apolitical, and have never pretended otherwise. I must say this view by you is surprising. For Archewell to have credibility it's important to be non-judgemental and as impartial as possible.
This lady's action of actually complaining as if her 'charity' is actually that is evidence they were right to cut funding.
I'm sure this lady will receive ample funding from her insincere complaint on IG. Which is why she did it. Archewell is well out of it. They are other orgs that help Afghan women they can sponsor.
respectfully, you are speaking like a die hard fan and not someone who likes someone but can be objective. h&m have never been apolitical, they have been very vocal about voting, ukraine and oct 7. all of this is political. meghan especially has been political by speaking about abortion rights, etc. the charity had every right have a public response and in fact i am happy because it pressure archewell to also make a public statement. the mural is a real reason to pull funding but calling the op-ed hate speech is not
I AM a die hard fan. Whatever problem you have with that is a you problem. How is that stopping me from reasoned comments? And just how is encouraging people to vote being political? Voting is a civic right and must always be encouraged so all voices can be heard.
As for this charity Archewell are well out if it. Do people normally go to the media when a particular donor stops funding? No. They get in the phone trying to get more funding. She did that deliberately hoping to capitalize on the hate machine against Meghan in particular. Hope she got her funding,but I doubt it - Meghan haters are notoriously skin-flint. The Sussexs are targets of a lot of very unsavoury people. Some of them would dearly love to label them antisemitic. There are also many who feel it's their right to judge whatever they do.
Until that stops, I'll happily be on these online streets.
You seem to have a problem with Meghan fans. Get used to us. We're not going away.
I’m a longtime Meghan fan, but not a blind loyalist. I offer criticism when it’s warranted. Right now, you’re being overly defensive, and that creates an echo chamber that disconnects the Sussexes from reality. Wrong is wrong, and calling it out isn’t hate—it’s holding them accountable so that they can do better.
The charity had every right to publicly respond to a public story. I’m glad they did, it pressured Archewell to respond amid backlash. No one is calling them antisemitic; people are questioning their silence on Gaza while being vocal about October 7 and Ukraine. Archewell mishandled this, leaning into a right-wing Zionist narrative. Punishing a woman for speaking out against injustice, something Meghan herself encourages, is not right. Yes, there’s donor and media pressure, but if they only advocate when it’s safe, they shouldn’t brand themselves as humanitarians or activists.
Not everyone who criticizes them is a hater. Please step out of the echo chamber, this isn’t about stan wars. Real people are suffering.
What a strange 'fan' you are 🤣 - you are nothing of the sort. You jumped up to criticize them for stopping funding. It seems you are pocket watching their funding decisions - and we all know who likes to do that.
Funding is matter of the funders choice. Funders don't actually have to give any reasons, but they usually do out of courtesy, and so the recipient is aware that they will need to raise the shortfall. It is not a right to receive funding - it is a privilege.
Having worked for a company funding dept I know that funding decisions are fluid and ALWAYS dependent on adhering to funders tenets on disbursement.
In this case - this lady had 1 - SM that was problematic; 2 support for a decidedly antisemitic poster. This things - especially when you are in a country that openly supports and arms Israel, is a lightning rod.
Either would especially would damage Archewell when discovered.
The fact that the lady concerned hared of to SM to criticize the decision was astonishing to me.
In your ignorance because you like to pocket watch H&M you think she was right - she has actually made her charity very difficult to sponsor - why?
Because most funders in the US will avoid it like the plague for fear of being accused of supporting antisemitism.
This particular charity was helping Afghan women. That has nothing to do with Palestine or Israel. That you don't seem to see that is not surprising. Ignorance is not an excuse.
This silly woman hasn't helped herself at all. She will find it very difficult to get funding because funders will do exactly what Archewell did - look at her SM. In fact I am sure she will lose other funders just because of her SM posting about it, apart from historical SM.
She comes across as a loose cannon - they might think she is masking the destination of funder support.
Archewell did exactly the right thing - and protected the other projects they receive support for which would have been impacted by any fall out.
Really are we talking about the same Trump? The press on both sides would love to paint them as antisemitic. And it doesn’t matter if either of us think he could get his status revoked. It matters if they think that. It matters if Harry thinks he could be separated from his children or have to uproot them from the life they have finally been able to build. And I am sorry, having money and position isn’t alway the safe haven some think. Look back at the communist witch hunts of McCarthyism.
I agree. The media would jump at the opportunity to paint them as antisemitic and to think otherwise is wild. How many times have we witnessed a smear campaign against them. What truly matters is the information Archewell had that made them move forward with their decision.
Thank you so much for acknowledging the context that Harry and Meghan and their organisations live under. They cannot be as relaxed as other foundation owners because they will be attacked and vilify as antisemitic. To expect them to jeopardise themselves is an absurd and dehumanising ask.
I'm constantly surprised at the demands placed on Harry and Meghan for everything in comparison to others in their position. It is interesting and unnerving.
It’s disappointing if they pulled funding over an Op Ed written a few years ago. Unfortunately I think many organizations are rethinking how they operate in Trump’s America. I’m disappointed too in higher education institutions like Columbia caving to pressure but perhaps they feel the greater good is just staying alive.
The support wasn't withdrawn because of an op-ed. Someone affiliated with the charity painted a mural of the Star of David with a swastika at the center of it. It was on the side of a building in Milwaukee.
But that wasn't initially the reason. The justification was expanded once Archewell saw how people were replying online and what had broken through. And they don't have to justify cutting grants at all. It's well within their right to do it for whatever reason. But this is also a pattern we see with the internet trying to dehumanize and vilify someone to justify a course of action. I'm thinking specifically of the attempts by the government and the New Right to sully the image of the Maryland dad wrongly sent to El Salvador, as if it makes his lack of due process ok. Again, not a perfect analogy, but I look for patterns.
Absolutely. They only released the mural statement after facing backlash. Israel’s approval ratings are extremely low among Harry and Meghan’s core demographic—those under 50. According to AIPAC, 71% of Americans under 50 view Israel unfavorably. At first, they claimed the issue was the op-ed, which I actually read and found informative. But honestly, I don’t think they can recover from this. It’s a clear double standard—when it’s Ukraine, Harry went to visit and they've made public statement. But when it comes to Gaza, it’s silence. Even William made a statement, and he's still part of the institution and is in a more precarious position.
That part seems to be missed in this conversation about Archewell. The more I see about the whole situation, I have to agree with the removal of funding.
It's not so much missed as in it came out a lot later as part of the reason. And again, they totally get to remove funding for whatever reason. From the new developments, I just don't think their Comms team is always on the ball and kind of makes situations worse. That's just a PR critique not a hate on Archewell or the overall work they do
I hear you but still, I don’t see this as an ineffective comms team. I see this as a measured versus a bold response. The genocide in Gaza is land mine field to navigate.
It’s like over explaining their full rationale in a situation like this only serves to provide more ammunition and bullet points to those who would weaponize the Archewell response. I could see their response being used against Archewell similar to the Kamala Harris response. They are tiptoeing through a minefield.
It's a very sensitive situation to handle for sure. It's the reacting so quickly to a right-wing outlet and then someone leaking--or approved--to give the contents of the letter to the author that was honestly surprising, they call her op. ed. propaganda, which I'm still trying to figure out. All of that is why I don't think it was a good Comms. response IMO. But our conversation actually gave me a thread I want to pull on so I hope to have updates in tomorrow or Wed.
Agree. I feel like the continued discussion around this matter is honestly ridiculous and it is giving ammunition for others to use against them. Everyone trying to be right and prove their points in a business matter that is settled. Feels like some people won’t be satisfied until this discussion ends up in the WH press room. SMH
We are living in dystopian or at least authoritarian times. The public distancing of Archewell from this small, Muslim women’s group, tells us a lot about the state of our democracy. In light of the undermining and hostile takeover of Sentebale (did we forget about that?), I don’t find Archewell’s surprising.
Do I find it disturbing? Yes I do. Decisions are being made in real time by people and organizations with status and means to try “play the long game”, outlive this administration, do what good they can and simply survive. I find that terrifying on several levels.
I understand it was the author of the op-ed who posted online (IG) her response to the letter from Archwell informing the charity of pulling the funding. This is how this situation became public. The recent (4/18) statement on the Archwell website explains the position of the Sussexs foundation.
Hmm. A non profit has legal obligations to stay politically neutral . Someone called sussexspartanmeghanhive posted to explain tge legal tax position on Instagram a few days ago. Please research this if possible?
I am very disappointed about this cutting of funds to a charity, the leader of which is a Palestinian woman, whose land is stolen, whose people is murdered and their livings, houses, hospitalier, school, etc destroyer. Our humanity got lost there with the complicity of the US and the Westerners in general. Accusing someone of hatespeech in this particular historic drama, when it's daring to speak up, that is unacceptable. M&H lived in my head since they met. Now I feel cheated.
Given the current shenanigans going on in the White House and King Donnie's reign of terror about to expand to legal residents and American citizens, no one in their right mind is sticking their head above the parapet. The fact that Janen has publicly criticised Israel when the current laws in both the USA and Europe and the UK equates criticism of Israel is antisemitic leaves her, the charity and anyone that supports her open to charges of antisemitism. It's a minefield out there, AIPAC has so much power they could easily turn on the Sussexes and Harry lose his visa. When a US senator has to go looking in an internment camp for someone that was abducted and deported and the President refused to have him brought back in violation of scotus ruling there's something very wrong with the US. It's unfortunate for the charity to lose funding but Muslims in the US who criticise Israel and/or the Trump administration are finding themselves being arrested, held and possibly deported. And it won't stop there, Trump is a spiteful individual and I can see his enemies disappearing.
That doesn't make what Archewell (Harry&Meghan's foundation) did to Janan Jaheeb) right. It's very disappointing.
Janan Najeeb (sorry).
The title of the article alone was enough for H&M to withdraw support: “From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever!”. The meaning of that phrase is open to interpretation and may be considered hurtful to Jewish people thus does not align with Archewell’s values. To some it advocates for the dismantling of Israel, and the removal of its Jewish population. I do not see Archewell’s withdrawal as a reason to no longer support H&M. Their foundation continues to do good work for the Muslim community.
• HELAL & HANIFA – WASHINGTON D.C. - gathering Afghan women in the Washington, D.C. and Arlington, VA area.
• ARTOGETHER – OAKLAND, CA - gathering women in the Bay Area through an Arts & Support group.
• NEW AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MASSACHUSETTS - bringing women together in Massachusetts through sewing gatherings
• REFUGEE WOMEN’S NETWORK – DECATUR, GA - bringing together women in Georgia through a weekend hiking and outdoor activity
no one is saying “don’t support harry and meghan” but if they see that phrase are hateful then they should do their own research on it. also, supporting muslim groups doesn’t equal supporting palestine. i know that we still do not know the full extent of their involvement in this situation (and honestly i don’t think it’s a lot since they’re technically are not in charge of archewell) but criticism needs to be had when needed. nothing janan said in the op-ed should be labelled as hate speech and propaganda, especially when recognised groups like the UN have said the same words.
Archwell enacting these actions and sending that letter is a normalization of Zionism and subsequently the apartheid and genocide of Palestinians. Meghan and Harry have had no issue deeply and personally associating themselves with the politically charged situation in Ukraine, but they refused to speak up when the World Food Kitchen Truck was targeted and staff murdered by Israel even though they have had a long standing relationship with that organization. This move was spineless and lacks dignity. As you said Meredith college students, a vulnerable population, have taken a moral stand against this culture of genocide and massacre, yet individuals and organizations with actual power refuse to do the bare minimum and stand against literal apartheid regimes. It was a poor move from Archwell and one that will haunt them in the history books.
And those college students are getting deported. Honestly not seeing a lot of college students protesting since that happened. Have seen a lot of them scrubbing their social media though.
Yeah, they’re scared and I get it. Archewell had every right to cut ties. But they didn’t need to play into a media outlet creating a story and running full speed with it. They could have quietly cut funding. This could have been handled a lot differently and I find that disappointing.
Actually it looks like they were trying to kill a story. It is not unreasonable to assume that if they could kill the angle they were coming at them for, none of this would have gotten press. The letter may be real, but are we sure Archwell leaked it?
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIUVLm-ywvs/?igsh=cjh5NzFzdHFsYW1o
Very disappointing. I did not expect this from Archewell (=Harry&Meghan).
Thank you Meredith for this article and highlighting the context in which the Janan Najeeb's op-ed was written. Context is key here. You asked the questions I wonder about.
I don't have a problem with them cutting funding. It's their charity and they have the right to cut or grant funding for whatever reason they choose. But I am disappointed in the way it was handled. The optics aren't great. It's not a great look to label an op-ed "hateful", "dangerous" and "propaganda" because it talks about Palestinian history and the need for Palestinian justice at a time when Palestinian voices are being silenced. Do I understand that the decision was made to protect themselves, their image and for their survival? Sure. But it says a lot about the times we live in.
I can see why people are disappointed with Archwell's decision. First of all, the article was written during the Biden administration and no one had an issue with it, but with this new administration, things have changed. Their charity could easily be targeted by this administration for something like still 'supporting' an organisation that wrote an article over a year ago. This could lead to the Charity being shutdown. Their employee's status in the US in jeopardy. Another one of Harry's life work being terminated. In the end, they don't want attention brought to themselves by putting out a statement. Honestly, I'm disappointed in the charity for milking the attention, when Archewell have supported them for over a year. They could have handled this differently. And I don't mean Archewell. They're just trying to survive.
I think placing the onus on the smaller charity with less power is kind of wild. They didn’t speak with a news outlet. They didn’t send a lengthy letter about why they were cutting funding. This became a story, in part, because of Archewell’s leaked response. How is it surprising that an organization, that just lost a big grant that’s become a news story for a year old op Ed, doesn’t use their voice to put out their side of things?
Hmm! Didn't the charity post their reply to Archewell on their IG page? Was that necessary? That's 'wild' in my opinion! They can be upset by Archewell's actions but they ARE entitled to do so. You missed the part about WHY they may have done so - the current political climate! You're an American, Harry isn't and with all the attention on his Visa application, you don't think they should be cautious? We can disagree on the PR aspect on this, but fundamentally, Archewell did what they had to do to survive!
https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/milwaukee-muslim-womens-coalition-loses-funding-from-prince-harry-and-meghan-markles-foundation-over-op-ed
Najeeb said she received a call from a different Archewell employee days before the email, inquiring about the article.
"A tabloid type journalist has contacted them and was threatening to write an article that was disparaging," Najeeb said. "These bullying tactics are meant to silence people."
Also the group is not suffering from the funding loss.
I know WHO is trying to survive.
Seeing the reaction of the lady who heads the charity and her knee jerk reaction is to weaponize the hate for H&M, make me know that Archewell did well to cut ties!i am so happy she never got a chance to meet H&M but only dealt with the employees! I shudder to imagine the drama she would have caused if she had met H&M! She would have weaponized it if she had a photo!
One thing I know about H&M is they never do ‘kneejerk’ reactions! Their reactions to difficult situations is always thought through! I am certain they had good reasons!
And with the statement and the mural that the charity lady endorsed, Archewell’s decision makes sense! As I said, H&M are not hyper and dont react emotionally to stuff! That is why they usually make the best decisions that are right in the long term! Not short term gratification. This is why u were wrong @meredithconstant !
Not to mention, we don’t know H&M’s involvement in the decision.
So why are u using their picture?
Angie I think we’re going to have to agree to disagree. Ultimately we are discussing two different things, which is ok. I hope you have a good rest of your weekend and Happy Easter if you celebrate.
It’s there charity and the pic is from an Archewell event???
maybe because it is Harry and Meghan’s foundation???
This isn’t about being right or wrong. This is a difference of opinion over how something was handled. It isn’t about if they made a right or wrong decision, they can decide to cut funding for any reason they like. I was interested in what NewsNation reported and that they actually got the letter. And the actual response from Archewell, which has changed.
But I think we’re losing the plot if the reaction now is to ruin this woman and, by extension, hurt a charity that helps Afghan refugees.
no you are wrong. the mural is a valid reason for pulling funds however it should have been included in their initial letter. the only reason archewell made a second statement is because of the backlash they received. if they took a moment to actually think and not be pressured by outlets with ill intentions then they could have avoided all of this. yall need to allow valid criticism to be said when needed.
The mural was made by Janan's brother. Since when are we responsable for what family members do ???
So it seems you are not aware that Janan actually was present at the press conference about the mural. She wrote and OP ed endorsing it and tweeted from the charity social media praising the mural.! So this is not just about being a brother.
https://open.substack.com/pub/mattaoffact/p/inside-the-archewellmwc-fallout-an?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1v05i5
Look at the video
No thank you. I do not watch anything or read anything from Matta.
which shows your bias and your refusal to allow any valid criticism of anything sussex related to happen. instead you attack anyone who says anything. that does nothing but hurt h&m
Against freespeech also ?
the lady is well within her right to public respond, especially since it was archewell who leaked their letter to newsnation and that’s how we knew about the matter. you can support harry and meghan but don’t let your support turn into blind loyalty where you’re attacking others. you don’t know the sussexes and the fact that they never do knee jerk reactions yet their foundation did one right now is very ironic
I think they want to keep their heads down for how the political climate is here in the US- I don’t blame them- they don’t need yet ANOTHER stupid thing to be hated for!
Respectfully I don’t think this is a stupid little thing. It definitely isn’t for the organization who lost funding. I also think we all lose when we frame it as H&M getting hated on. Asking questions or expressing disappointment in an org you generally align with isn’t hating or cancelling them.
You have a point, i do agree with you on that, however I still think they’re trying to be neutral, which imo, is probably the best course right now- sadly- even online for just the regular person there’s risks of showing too much of a opinion on something can get you in hot water with someone or other- you can’t win I guess.
respectfully, they called out oct 7 and now they made this decision. all of this without once acknowledging Palestinian suffering. this is political whether they like it or not.
This is not a stupid thing. What happens in Palestine is beyond inhumanity.
Interesting. Curious if after they couldn’t get Harry out of the country because he did not lie on his visa application if this is a switch in tactics. Even a permanent US resident can get their status revoked for promoting or supporting terrorist groups. And no that isn’t a thing here or remotely anything that would hold up in a fair legal proceeding. But unfortunately that isn’t our current reality. They wouldn’t even have to deport him, just refuse him entry back into the country when he travels. In which case I wouldn’t expect any comment on a letter that was leaked to end run that.
In the America you have now it's better to be safe than sorry. It's also due to the constant scrutiny both are under - especially Meghan. Also remember Harry is being harassed by the Heritage Foundation.
This will sometimes impact the decisions made.
They might be appalled but they also know that sometimes hard decisions nerd to be made to protect the wider work of the organisation.
They are non-working royals, not a huge company with endless amounts of money. It was just a matter of time before this lady's past remarks came to light and they would be attacked for supporting her. They have to be non-political and this crossed the line.
I think it’s a stretch to think Harry would have been deported over this and honestly not a great excuse for how this was handled. Archewell was approached with this news story. They could have ignored it or said they were handling it and quietly removed funding, not even brought up the op Ed.
Let’s say for a second Harry was deported (unlikely, Trump isn’t going to start an international incident with a Prince). He has wealth and power that international students by contrast, deported over op Ed’s or engaging in protests, do not have
Respectfully, I disagree. The charity is supposed to be apolitical - and has been. This lady who posted her complaint about losing funding is well over the line.
How exactly do you expect them to handle these remarks? You must know that past comments will be scrutinized. H&M are apolitical, and have never pretended otherwise. I must say this view by you is surprising. For Archewell to have credibility it's important to be non-judgemental and as impartial as possible.
This lady's action of actually complaining as if her 'charity' is actually that is evidence they were right to cut funding.
I'm sure this lady will receive ample funding from her insincere complaint on IG. Which is why she did it. Archewell is well out of it. They are other orgs that help Afghan women they can sponsor.
respectfully, you are speaking like a die hard fan and not someone who likes someone but can be objective. h&m have never been apolitical, they have been very vocal about voting, ukraine and oct 7. all of this is political. meghan especially has been political by speaking about abortion rights, etc. the charity had every right have a public response and in fact i am happy because it pressure archewell to also make a public statement. the mural is a real reason to pull funding but calling the op-ed hate speech is not
I AM a die hard fan. Whatever problem you have with that is a you problem. How is that stopping me from reasoned comments? And just how is encouraging people to vote being political? Voting is a civic right and must always be encouraged so all voices can be heard.
As for this charity Archewell are well out if it. Do people normally go to the media when a particular donor stops funding? No. They get in the phone trying to get more funding. She did that deliberately hoping to capitalize on the hate machine against Meghan in particular. Hope she got her funding,but I doubt it - Meghan haters are notoriously skin-flint. The Sussexs are targets of a lot of very unsavoury people. Some of them would dearly love to label them antisemitic. There are also many who feel it's their right to judge whatever they do.
Until that stops, I'll happily be on these online streets.
You seem to have a problem with Meghan fans. Get used to us. We're not going away.
I’m a longtime Meghan fan, but not a blind loyalist. I offer criticism when it’s warranted. Right now, you’re being overly defensive, and that creates an echo chamber that disconnects the Sussexes from reality. Wrong is wrong, and calling it out isn’t hate—it’s holding them accountable so that they can do better.
The charity had every right to publicly respond to a public story. I’m glad they did, it pressured Archewell to respond amid backlash. No one is calling them antisemitic; people are questioning their silence on Gaza while being vocal about October 7 and Ukraine. Archewell mishandled this, leaning into a right-wing Zionist narrative. Punishing a woman for speaking out against injustice, something Meghan herself encourages, is not right. Yes, there’s donor and media pressure, but if they only advocate when it’s safe, they shouldn’t brand themselves as humanitarians or activists.
Not everyone who criticizes them is a hater. Please step out of the echo chamber, this isn’t about stan wars. Real people are suffering.
What a strange 'fan' you are 🤣 - you are nothing of the sort. You jumped up to criticize them for stopping funding. It seems you are pocket watching their funding decisions - and we all know who likes to do that.
Funding is matter of the funders choice. Funders don't actually have to give any reasons, but they usually do out of courtesy, and so the recipient is aware that they will need to raise the shortfall. It is not a right to receive funding - it is a privilege.
Having worked for a company funding dept I know that funding decisions are fluid and ALWAYS dependent on adhering to funders tenets on disbursement.
In this case - this lady had 1 - SM that was problematic; 2 support for a decidedly antisemitic poster. This things - especially when you are in a country that openly supports and arms Israel, is a lightning rod.
Either would especially would damage Archewell when discovered.
The fact that the lady concerned hared of to SM to criticize the decision was astonishing to me.
In your ignorance because you like to pocket watch H&M you think she was right - she has actually made her charity very difficult to sponsor - why?
Because most funders in the US will avoid it like the plague for fear of being accused of supporting antisemitism.
This particular charity was helping Afghan women. That has nothing to do with Palestine or Israel. That you don't seem to see that is not surprising. Ignorance is not an excuse.
This silly woman hasn't helped herself at all. She will find it very difficult to get funding because funders will do exactly what Archewell did - look at her SM. In fact I am sure she will lose other funders just because of her SM posting about it, apart from historical SM.
She comes across as a loose cannon - they might think she is masking the destination of funder support.
Archewell did exactly the right thing - and protected the other projects they receive support for which would have been impacted by any fall out.
Really are we talking about the same Trump? The press on both sides would love to paint them as antisemitic. And it doesn’t matter if either of us think he could get his status revoked. It matters if they think that. It matters if Harry thinks he could be separated from his children or have to uproot them from the life they have finally been able to build. And I am sorry, having money and position isn’t alway the safe haven some think. Look back at the communist witch hunts of McCarthyism.
I agree. The media would jump at the opportunity to paint them as antisemitic and to think otherwise is wild. How many times have we witnessed a smear campaign against them. What truly matters is the information Archewell had that made them move forward with their decision.
Thank you so much for acknowledging the context that Harry and Meghan and their organisations live under. They cannot be as relaxed as other foundation owners because they will be attacked and vilify as antisemitic. To expect them to jeopardise themselves is an absurd and dehumanising ask.
I'm constantly surprised at the demands placed on Harry and Meghan for everything in comparison to others in their position. It is interesting and unnerving.
Me too. I think individuals believe they are entitled to know the “why” for the decisions they make. When in reality they owe us nothing.
Non political regarding Palestine ? Are you an Israelian ?
It’s disappointing if they pulled funding over an Op Ed written a few years ago. Unfortunately I think many organizations are rethinking how they operate in Trump’s America. I’m disappointed too in higher education institutions like Columbia caving to pressure but perhaps they feel the greater good is just staying alive.
Welp. If we expect privileged people like royals to keep their heads down bc of the current administration we’re already screwed.
The comments here are why this news hasn’t been picked up. Even the so called good guys don’t care about a literal genocide.
The support wasn't withdrawn because of an op-ed. Someone affiliated with the charity painted a mural of the Star of David with a swastika at the center of it. It was on the side of a building in Milwaukee.
But that wasn't initially the reason. The justification was expanded once Archewell saw how people were replying online and what had broken through. And they don't have to justify cutting grants at all. It's well within their right to do it for whatever reason. But this is also a pattern we see with the internet trying to dehumanize and vilify someone to justify a course of action. I'm thinking specifically of the attempts by the government and the New Right to sully the image of the Maryland dad wrongly sent to El Salvador, as if it makes his lack of due process ok. Again, not a perfect analogy, but I look for patterns.
Absolutely. They only released the mural statement after facing backlash. Israel’s approval ratings are extremely low among Harry and Meghan’s core demographic—those under 50. According to AIPAC, 71% of Americans under 50 view Israel unfavorably. At first, they claimed the issue was the op-ed, which I actually read and found informative. But honestly, I don’t think they can recover from this. It’s a clear double standard—when it’s Ukraine, Harry went to visit and they've made public statement. But when it comes to Gaza, it’s silence. Even William made a statement, and he's still part of the institution and is in a more precarious position.
Janan's brother. Is she responsable for what her brother does ?
That part seems to be missed in this conversation about Archewell. The more I see about the whole situation, I have to agree with the removal of funding.
It's not so much missed as in it came out a lot later as part of the reason. And again, they totally get to remove funding for whatever reason. From the new developments, I just don't think their Comms team is always on the ball and kind of makes situations worse. That's just a PR critique not a hate on Archewell or the overall work they do
I hear you but still, I don’t see this as an ineffective comms team. I see this as a measured versus a bold response. The genocide in Gaza is land mine field to navigate.
It’s like over explaining their full rationale in a situation like this only serves to provide more ammunition and bullet points to those who would weaponize the Archewell response. I could see their response being used against Archewell similar to the Kamala Harris response. They are tiptoeing through a minefield.
It's a very sensitive situation to handle for sure. It's the reacting so quickly to a right-wing outlet and then someone leaking--or approved--to give the contents of the letter to the author that was honestly surprising, they call her op. ed. propaganda, which I'm still trying to figure out. All of that is why I don't think it was a good Comms. response IMO. But our conversation actually gave me a thread I want to pull on so I hope to have updates in tomorrow or Wed.
Agree. I feel like the continued discussion around this matter is honestly ridiculous and it is giving ammunition for others to use against them. Everyone trying to be right and prove their points in a business matter that is settled. Feels like some people won’t be satisfied until this discussion ends up in the WH press room. SMH
We are living in dystopian or at least authoritarian times. The public distancing of Archewell from this small, Muslim women’s group, tells us a lot about the state of our democracy. In light of the undermining and hostile takeover of Sentebale (did we forget about that?), I don’t find Archewell’s surprising.
Do I find it disturbing? Yes I do. Decisions are being made in real time by people and organizations with status and means to try “play the long game”, outlive this administration, do what good they can and simply survive. I find that terrifying on several levels.
I understand it was the author of the op-ed who posted online (IG) her response to the letter from Archwell informing the charity of pulling the funding. This is how this situation became public. The recent (4/18) statement on the Archwell website explains the position of the Sussexs foundation.
It started because News Nation published a piece with the leaked letter to MWC on April 10th or 11th
Hmm. A non profit has legal obligations to stay politically neutral . Someone called sussexspartanmeghanhive posted to explain tge legal tax position on Instagram a few days ago. Please research this if possible?
I'll definitely look into it. I know there are legal obligations. I'm hoping to have a Substack out tomorrow or Wed.
I am very disappointed about this cutting of funds to a charity, the leader of which is a Palestinian woman, whose land is stolen, whose people is murdered and their livings, houses, hospitalier, school, etc destroyer. Our humanity got lost there with the complicity of the US and the Westerners in general. Accusing someone of hatespeech in this particular historic drama, when it's daring to speak up, that is unacceptable. M&H lived in my head since they met. Now I feel cheated.