LONDON: The UK’s charity authority is investigating organizations that donate funds to illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine, The Guardian reported on Wednesday.
The Charity Commission is aiming to determine the amount of charitable funds going to illegal settlements, whether those funds furthered the efforts of settlement groups, and the necessity of any regulatory action.
It follows extensive reporting on the issue by The Guardian, which revealed last year that two charities in the UK had transferred about £5.7 million ($7.6 million) to the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva high school located in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory.
Melanie Ward, an MP with the governing Labour Party, in June last year made a formal complaint to the charity regulator, citing figures showing that 32 charities in England and Wales had donated at least £28 million to Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law. The Charity Commission’s inquiry is a direct response to Ward’s letter.
Stephen Roake, assistant director of high-risk compliance at the regulator, said: “Serious allegations have been made about UK charities operating in illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine, so our first step is to establish the facts.
“Only then can we determine if regulatory action is required, based on our findings and the evidence we see.”
The investigation will initially focus on eight charities, he said, adding: “Our fact-finding will also help us develop regulatory guidance for charities, which will to help ensure public trust and confidence in charities.”
In June, then-Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told Parliament that she had urged the commission to investigate the matter.
There was “some evidence” that the UK’s regulations on charitable donations were “being broken,” she said, highlighting concerns over “UK gift aid (tax relief) being funnelled to illegal settlements.”
Ward responded to Cooper and said 140 Labour MPs wanted an immediate ban on donations to Israeli settlements rather than an inquiry.
The Charity Commission said it would consider naming the charities under investigation upon publishing its findings.
Both the police and HMRC, the UK’s tax agency, have been informed about the scope of the investigation, it added.
The Guardian revealed last month that a British charity had funded a religious school at the heart of expansion plans in the Palestinian city of Hebron with almost £200,000 between 2019 and 2024.
Labour MP Abtisam Mohamed said while she and other parliamentarians welcomed news of the probe, “we know there is evidence of at least 32 charities engaging in this abhorrent practice. The Charity Commission must investigate them as well and move quickly to stamp out this behavior altogether.”
She added: “Funding illegal Israeli settlements is extremist activity linked to the violence and dispossession of Palestinians and bears no relation to charitable activity.”
