Charities in England and Wales have donated millions of pounds to Israeli settlements that are illegal under international law, according to a Labour MP. Melanie Ward has called on the Charity Commission to investigate 32 organisations that she says have given at least £28 million to such settlements.
Taxpayer subsidy concerns
Ward stated that if gift aid was claimed on these donations, UK taxpayers would have subsidised illegal settlements by £5.6 million, a situation she described as deplorable. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced on Tuesday that the Charity Commission has been tasked with examining UK charities' links to settlements.
MP's letter to the commission
Ward, formerly chief executive of Medical Aid for Palestinians, detailed the charities' activities in a letter urging the regulator to investigate and remove them from the charity register. She 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."
Specific charities named
Among the charities Ward named are the Kasner Charitable Trust (KCT) and UK Toremet. The Guardian revealed last year that these two charities together donated about £5.7 million to the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva high school in Susya, an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank. Researchers also found that KCT donated to a yeshiva in Hebron, and in 2022, UK Toremet donated £38,479 to Regavim, an extremist pro-settler group that the EU has sanctioned for supporting the destruction of Palestinian homes.
Jgive platform
Through the Jgive platform, for which UK Toremet processes UK currency donations, people can donate to Regavim and other pro-settler groups, including Shivat Zion Lerigvy Admata, which the UK announced sanctions against on Tuesday. A UK Toremet spokesperson said the Charity Commission had found it compliant with the law, and that it only processes Jgive payments after due diligence for projects compliant with charitable purposes. The spokesperson added that Shivat Zion Lerigvy Admata is not an approved recipient, and the donation to Regavim was for a project within Israel's pre-1967 borders.
Legal and international implications
Ward argued that funding illegal settlements is not a charitable activity and violates UK and international law, a position upheld by the United Nations, successive UK governments, and the International Court of Justice. The matter is also under investigation by the International Criminal Court as potential war crimes. Yaser Alkam, a Palestinian-American from the West Bank village of Turmus Ayya who was attacked by settlers, said: "Donating to these outposts and settlements is directly affecting Palestinians... You're providing the means for these crimes to continue."
Charity Commission response
A Charity Commission spokesperson said it was carefully considering the "serious matters" raised by Ward. "As we have previously confirmed, we are actively considering the wider legal and compliance issues relating to charities operating in Palestine," the spokesperson said. "We know this is a complex and highly contentious issue and so it is right that we take the time needed to consider these matters fully."
