Prince Harry has warned of a “deeply troubling” rise in antisemitism in the United Kingdom, saying it has already led to “lethal violence” against the Jewish community.
In an opinion article for the New Statesman, the Duke of Sussex wrote that while protest against the actions of a state can be legitimate, anger must be directed clearly and responsibly. “Nothing, whether criticism of a government or the reality of violence and destruction, can ever justify hostility toward an entire people or faith,” he wrote.
His comments come after a series of attacks on synagogues and other Jewish sites in recent months, including the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, north London, on April 29.
Pro-Palestinian marches in Britain have also faced renewed scrutiny, with the government saying antisemitic activity has occurred during some protests as people seek to sow division.
In the article, titled “My fears for a divided kingdom,” Harry wrote: “We have seen how legitimate protest against state actions in the Middle East does exist alongside hostility toward Jewish communities at home — just as we have also seen how criticism of those actions can be too easily dismissed or mischaracterized.”
“Hatred directed at people for who they are, or what they believe, is not protest. It is prejudice,” he added.
Harry said he felt compelled to speak out because silence allows “hate and extremism to flourish unchecked.”
The prince referred repeatedly to the actions of a “state,” but did not name Israel.
“We cannot ignore a difficult truth: when states act without accountability, and in ways that raise serious questions under international humanitarian law — criticism is both legitimate, necessary and essential in any democracy,” he wrote.
But he said those who protest or speak out against such actions must be clear that responsibility “falls squarely on the state — not an entire people.”
Harry argued that polarized public debate has deepened confusion and helped fuel division.
The duke also referred to lessons from his own “past mistakes,” an apparent reference to the 2005 incident in which he wore a Nazi uniform to a costume party when he was 20. He apologized at the time, calling it “a poor choice of costume.”
Calling for unity, Harry concluded by urging people to confront both antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred.
“When anger is turned towards communities, whether Jewish, Muslim, or any other, it ceases to be a call for justice and becomes something far more corrosive,” he wrote.