The Charity Commission has launched an investigation into “serious allegations” of UK charities funding illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine.
The inquiry will seek to determine the sums used to fund the settlements in the occupied West Bank, the specific purpose of the funds and whether the money used was consistent with the charities’ objectives.
Eight charities will be investigated initially and more may be included later. The commission said it will also look into whether charity assets or beneficiaries are at risk, and take regulatory action where necessary.
It has not revealed the names of the charities under investigation, but will consider naming them when it publishes its findings. Last month, the Guardian reported that 32 charities in England and Wales had given at least £28m in donations to illegal Israeli settlements. Labour MP Melanie Ward contacted the charity regulator urging it to investigate and remove offenders from the charity register.
In the letter quoted by the Guardian, Ward, who was formerly chief executive for Medical Aid for Palestinians, wrote: “The existence and growth of Israeli settlements in the state of Palestine is globally recognised as one of the major impediments to peace.
“Any activity which supports the maintenance and the expansion of Israeli settlements – such as that funded by these 32 ‘charities’ – is extremist and not of benefit to the UK public. Further, it risks being materially and financially used in pursuance of breaches of international law.”
Around the same time, the government announced a raft of new measures against six entities and an individual involved in financing settler violence in the West Bank. The UK was joined by Canada, France and Norway – who have all officially recognised the state of Palestine – in announcing co-ordinated sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans.
Among the charities Ward named was Kasner Charitable Trust (KCT) and UK Toremet, which gave a combined total of £5.7m to a school in Susya. A UK Toremet spokesperson said its “grants were made within the scope of English charity law”.
In a call with the Guardian, a KCT spokesperson cast doubt on the illegality of the settlement, and said the donation was for a “religious school, not for settlement purposes”.
Last month, Novara Media reported that an Israeli property fair was still advertising property in the West Bank to prospective buyers in London. The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians has submitted formal complaints to both the Charity Commission and the Metropolitan police over the event’s links to illegal settlements.
In December 2023, Novara Media revealed that a UK charity had given more than £1m to “Israel’s largest militia”.
Setting out the scope of the inquiry, Stephen Roake, assistant director of high risk compliance at the commission, 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.”
A spokesperson for the Charity Commission told Novara Media: “After we have opened an inquiry, and depending on the circumstances and evidence, the commission can use the full range of its powers. Some of these powers relate to information gathering, which is the focus of this class inquiry.
“We also have temporary, protective powers such as restricting transactions or ‘freezing’ a bank account and some other powers which are typically used once findings have been established, where the relevant thresholds are met, for example, disqualifying trustees or issuing an official warning.”
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