ARE EUROPEAN MONARCHS IMMUNE TO ANTISEMITISM ?
Are European Monarchs immune to Antisemitism?
Erica Zeman
Before Israel’s Declaration of Independence in May 14th, 1948, European Diaspora Jewish Community was at the mercy of Kings and political tyrants, in which millions lost their lives in particular during the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisition, 1492-1536 and the Holocaust in 1935-1945. The Holocaust, the Shoah, was not limited to the years of 1939-1945, but started visibly as soon as the Nazi Regime’s Nuernberg Laws were established in 1935.
After the disastrous World War II, Germany continued as a Republic on May 23rd, 1949, whereas twelve European Royal Households function at present as representatives and constitutional Monarchies for their countries.
Today’s Norwegian Monarchy is limited by Parliament as solely advisory, warning and encouraging branch of parliamentary power. The former Crown Prince Haakon visited Israel in 2020. After the 7th of October 2023 Hamas massacre attacking Israel, His Majesty the late King Harald V, requested the permission to write a letter of condolences to Israel’s Government. The request was declined by the government with the retrospective reason of disunity within. Andreas Kvarik, Norwegian’s State Secretary, expressed his regret as a mistake done by his Party. It took PM Jonas Gahr Sto(e)r four days to acknowledge and prescribe Hamas as a terrorist organisation.
Rolf Kirschner, the former leader of the Jewish Community in Oslo marks this situation’ as a stain in Norwegian History’. He also expresses his disappointment in the Norwegian government, as the government of ‘total failure when it comes to speaking out against rising antisemitism.’
The Swedish Monarchy has the most difficult position as reigning, but not ruling Royalty. In an act of compromise in 1974 the right-left wing Parties of the Swedish government decided in Torekov the continuity of the Royal Household only on the basis of a representative and symbolic function. The Swedish King is stripped since than from wearing the symbol of reign, the crown, and has no advisory, counselling or encouraging right toward his ministers. Although the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf is said to have a warm and ongoing relationship with the Swedish Jewish Community, and has visited many countries, he has, so far, not been in Israel. His Majesty, the King of Sweden is not banned from entering Israel.
Recent political developments from August 24th, 2026, between Israel and Sweden are such that Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar decided to ban the Swedish Members of Government Jonas Sjoestead and Hana Gedin from entering the country. Mr.Sa’ar based his ban in accordance to Israel’s Entry Law, the Population and Immigration Authority. (Jerusalem Post). The Foreign Ministry outlined the Swedish government members as ‘have consistently acted against Israel in recent years, including by calling for international legal proceedings to be advanced against Israelis,’ continued on ‘various occasions, they have made also false accusations against Israel, including claims of genocide, deliberate starvation, and the intentional targeting of children and medical personnel.’
The Dutch Royal Household is a constitutional Monarchy, in which King Willem- Alexander reigns over the country. His function with regards to his constitutional rights includes the advisory, the counselling and warning capacity towards his ministers. The Dutch Royal Household is known for his ongoing support of the Dutch Jewish Community. As Head of State his Majesty King William- Alexander apologised to the Dutch Jewish leadership and Community for the failings of his great-grandmother Queen Wilhelmina. During her exile in Great- Britain she held 48 speeches via BBC radio and mentioned the plight of her Jewish Citizens only three times. The former Prime Minister Mark Rutte reinforced the Kings apologies equally as failure of the late Queen and her government, during a time in which Dutch resistance was the fiercest against the Nazi Regime and the loss of 105,000 murdered Jewish people the largest for the former 140,000 Dutch Jewish Citizens.
In December 25th, 2024, King Willem- Alexander urged the Jewish Community members not to immigrate to Israel in the aftermath of the attacks before and after the soccer games between AFC Ajax and Maccabi Tel-Aviv. The November UEFA Europe League had turned into a horrific terror scene as ‘Free Palestine’ supporters and antisemites attacked Maccabi fans. Five Israeli fans had to be taken into hospitals with two other supporters, and 20-30 people were lightly injured. The following jail terms of up to six months for the aggressors were seen as too light and as unjust. The King’s speech and appeal to the Jewish Community to stay in the Netherlands as their country, plus to the ‘Palestinians to remain as it is their country too’ was not entirely appreciated. For the journalist Dijkgraaf the speech signalised a warning ‘that the Netherlands is not a safe place for Jews’, were as some Dutch Jewish Citizens appreciated the King’s appeal as ‘beautiful and unifying’.
For an increasingly Western terror looking for ‘Free Palestine’ organisation, who does not acknowledge existing law of any country, the Kings speech may be well understood as an invitation to continue with their destruction and terror against Dutch society. In March 2026 this continuation of terror became obvious with the explosion in Amsterdam at a Jewish School and a suspected Arson attack in Rotterdam against a Synagogue taking place.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs published on the 14th of March 2026 President Herzog’s conversation with Dutch Jewish leaders expressing his shock and his ongoing support for the Jewish Community in distress.
The British Royalty, his Majesty King Charles III. is a constitutional monarch, who uses his duty of encouraging and advising his ministers very often. His ambition to reform the British Monarchy into a modern representative & tolerant Co-operation for his realm and reign underwent changes. His coronation was closely followed by several representatives of different ‘faiths’. Most recently the King changed his constitutional duty from being a ‘Protector of the Faith’, which for centuries was understood as the Head and Protector of the Anglican Christian faith and Church, to the ‘Protector of the space for Faith within the multifaith nation.’ According to the former chaplain to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Gavin Ashenden, the King changed his constitutional Parliament given title in an unconstitutional singlehanded way without the consent of Parliament. Mr. Asheden questions the King’s integrity in his neglect to defend the Christian theology and scriptural evidence. The King’s new title to protect every ‘space of faiths’ lacks reality and practicality. If all ‘faiths’ demand to be equally defended at the same time then none will be defended, as the King has to set priorities. The British public observes his increasing leaning towards Islam as a betrayal and as a threat towards British history, British civilisation, British culture, and religious adherence combined with British traditions. There are voices on social media calling for the relinquishment of the British Monarchy all together, as Secular and Christian Citizens know themselves abandoned by Party and Church leaders as well as by the Crown in their request for protection and support.
The Government’s plan to support the Diaspora Jewish Community contradicts the leading Party’s strategy to question and fragment Jewish identity with regards to Israel’s rightful habitation of Judea and Samaria. It is a systematic ambition to weaken the bond between British Jewry and Israel. The British Monarchy’s call for calm and tolerance is an untimely effort after the terror acts of stabbings, murder and Vans crushing into the public have taken place. The King’s preference of choosing Islam as his example of a ‘peace- loving’ religion has the potential of being an aggravation for the Christian communities against Jewish people. History has shown this dilemma so often and so clearly.
