Prince Harry warns antisemitism as Gaza grief grows

Prince Harry says antisemitism is rising in the U.K. while urging people to separate criticism of Middle East governments from hatred of Jews.

Prince Harry has issued a stark warning that antisemitism is worsening in the U.K., urging the public not to blur legitimate anger over Middle East wars with hostility toward Jewish communities at home.

In an opinion piece published by The New Statesman. the Duke of Sussex said Jewish families across Britain are being made to feel unsafe.. He linked his concern to recent antisemitic attacks in London and Manchester. describing a pattern that. in his view. should alarm the public and also unite them against prejudice rather than normalize it.

Harry argued that hatred directed at people because of who they are or what they believe should not be framed as protest.. He said the line between voicing political grievances and expressing prejudice is being crossed. and he warned that public debate has become polarized in ways that remove nuance from the discussion.

He pointed to a pair of attacks in London and Manchester in which Jewish men were targeted.. One incident occurred in Golders Green. London. where two Jewish men. Shloime Rand and Moshe Shine. were stabbed; the attack was declared a terrorist incident.. Essa Suleiman, the 45-year-old suspect who has been charged with attempted murder, is due in court on Friday.

Harry also referenced killings in Manchester, where Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby were fatally shot while they worshipped at Heaton Park synagogue in Crumpsall in October. The police shot and killed Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, who carried out the attack.

While discussing antisemitism. Harry also acknowledged the widespread anger and grief felt in many places over the scale of civilian suffering in the Middle East. pointing to devastation in Gaza and Lebanon.. He wrote that images showing communities destroyed have shaken people and heightened demands for accountability and an end to the suffering.

At the heart of his argument was a distinction he said people must keep in view: protest against government actions can exist alongside antisemitic hostility toward Jewish people. and the latter cannot be treated as simply an extension of the former.. He said criticism of state actions is sometimes dismissed or mischaracterized. and he cautioned against folding entire faith communities into a single blanket narrative.

He further argued that the political debate has overlooked the diversity of views inside Jewish communities. including people who publicly criticize certain state actions.. In his view, ignoring those internal differences deepens misunderstanding and allows prejudice to thrive under the cover of politics.

Harry said accountability must be directed at governments when states act without it. particularly when their conduct raises serious questions under international humanitarian law.. He emphasized that the burden of scrutiny should not shift from state decision-makers to an entire people. adding that actions like the ones he described “have nothing to do with Judaism.”

The op-ed also referenced the loss of journalists in Gaza, which Harry said undermines transparency and accountability at a time when both are essential. He wrote that the continued escalation of human suffering demands sustained attention from the international community.

In the same piece, Harry turned to another subject tied to his public image and past controversies: his own mistakes related to Nazi symbolism. He referenced the widely criticized moment when he was photographed at a costume party wearing a Nazi uniform.

Harry wrote that he was aware of his past mistakes and that he had apologized. taken responsibility. and learned from the incident.. The controversy dates to January 2005. when. at age 20. he attended a costume party with the theme “natives and colonials” and wore a Nazi uniform with a swastika armband.

The backlash was fueled when a British tabloid published a photo on its front page with a headline that drew global outrage.. Critics. including Jewish groups. politicians. and commentators. condemned the costume as offensive and insensitive. particularly because it surfaced shortly before Holocaust Memorial Day.

Those who criticized the event argued that it trivialized the suffering bound up in Nazi symbolism. They also questioned his judgment and raised doubts about his suitability for military service.

In his 2023 memoir. Spare. Harry described going through costume racks and eventually choosing between two outfits. including one described as a Nazi uniform with a swastika armband and a flat cap. along with a rented mustache.. He wrote that he consulted his family for their reaction and that they advised him it was a “Nazi uniform.”

He also said that what followed became a “firestorm” and that, at times, he feared the backlash could engulf him. In that same account, he described the shame he felt in the weeks and months after the incident.

Harry wrote that his father at the time, King Charles III—then Prince of Wales—took pity on him but said he needed to make amends. Charles sent him to meet with the U.K.’s chief rabbi, whom Harry said offered him tea and then delivered a direct condemnation of his actions.

According to Harry’s account. the chief rabbi placed his conduct in historical context. speaking about the scale of atrocities committed against Jews and others. and emphasizing the annihilation of people including children and the elderly.. Harry said he understood that the moment could not be separated from the broader history of persecution.

Taken together. the op-ed pairs a warning about antisemitism in Britain with a plea for accountability in the Middle East that he says should not spill over into hatred of Jewish communities.. It also revisits his own past error involving Nazi symbolism. framing both issues as lessons about prejudice. responsibility. and the dangers of letting emotion replace judgment.

Prince Harry antisemitism UK Gaza civilian suffering antisemitic attacks London Manchester synagogue shooting The New Statesman op-ed accountability governments