London,\u00a06th\u00a0August 2026\u00a0\u2013 The International Centre of Justice\u00a0for Palestinians (ICJP) welcomes\u00a0the\u00a0announcement by the\u00a0Charity Commission\u00a0that it has opened a formal inquiry\u00a0into charities in England and Wales\u00a0working in or funding\u00a0illegal Israeli settlements in\u00a0the occupied\u00a0Palestinian territory.\u00a0The regulator has confirmed that the inquiry will initially examine eight charities, with the scope to widen its investigation as further evidence is assessed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The announcement marks the most significant\u00a0regulatory\u00a0step taken to\u00a0date in relation to concerns that UK charitable funds have been used to support Israel\u2019s illegal settlement enterprise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Over the past two years,\u00a0ICJP\u00a0has referred 7 UK-registered\u00a0charities to the Charity\u00a0Commission,\u00a0involving extensive legal and factual investigations\u00a0into charitable activities connected with Israeli settlements and other unlawful conduct.\u00a0This work\u00a0has\u00a0included tracing the flow of charitable funds, analysing charity law and trustees\u2019 legal duties, examining financial records and governance arrangements, and\u00a0submitting\u00a0detailed evidence to the Charity\u00a0Commission.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Charity Commission\u2019s investigation follows reporting that revealed two UK charities had\u00a0transferred approximately \u00a35.7m to the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva high school in\u00a0the\u00a0Susya\u00a0settlement\u00a0in the\u00a0occupied West Bank.\u00a0In June, Labour minister Melanie Ward issued a formal complaint to the regulator\u00a0identifying\u00a032 charities in England and Wales that had\u00a0collectively\u00a0donated at least \u00a328m to\u00a0organisations\u00a0operating\u00a0in\u00a0or supporting illegal\u00a0Israeli settlements.\u00a0<\/p>\n
ICJP\u2019s own regulatory work has\u00a0identified\u00a0wider\u00a0concerns\u00a0regarding\u00a0the use of UK charitable structures.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In\u00a0March 2025, ICJP\u00a0submitted\u00a0a formal complaint\u00a0concerning the Jewish National Fund (JNF), setting out evidence\u00a0that the charity has funded projects\u00a0with direct links to\u00a0the\u00a0Israeli\u00a0militaryand activities, raising\u00a0serious questions\u00a0under UK charity law.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In May 2024, ICJP\u2019s complaint\u00a0regarding\u00a0UK\u00a0Toremet,\u00a0a UK-registered charity, revealed\u00a0that\u00a0UK\u202fToremet\u202fhad\u00a0processed donations for Israeli organisations involved in obstructing humanitarian aid entering Gaza.\u00a0This prompted the Charity Commission to issue\u00a0UK\u202fToremet\u202fwith a regulatory \u2018action\u00a0plan\u2019.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Complaints have also been issued by ICJP in relation to\u00a0Achisomoch\u202fAid Company\u202f(AAC),\u00a0Mizrachi UK,\u00a0and Edgeware United Synagogue.\u00a0The complaint against Edgware United Synagogue followed its decision to\u00a0host the \u2018Great Israeli Real Estate\u2019 event despite prior legal warnings and evidence that settlement properties were being marketed at the event. The complaint raised concerns\u00a0regarding\u00a0trustee duties, governance\u00a0failures, and the use of charitable premises to\u00a0facilitate\u00a0activities connected with settlements.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last month, the Guardian also revealed that\u00a0\u2018Friends of Yeshivat Shavei Hevron\u2019,\u00a0a UK charity,\u00a0had transferred almost \u00a3200,000 to a religious school at the centre of plans to expand illegal\u00a0Israeli\u00a0settlements in Hebron between 2019 and 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The UK Government has consistently\u00a0maintained\u00a0that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory\u00a0(oPt)\u00a0are unlawful under international law. That position was reinforced by the International Court of Justice\u2019s July 2024 Advisory Opinion, which confirmed that states must not recognise as lawful, or\u00a0assist\u00a0in\u00a0maintaining, Israel\u2019s unlawful presence in the oPt,\u00a0including Israel\u2019s\u00a0rapidly expanding\u00a0illegal settlement enterprise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Charity Commission\u2019s inquiry\u00a0into donations to illegal Israeli settlements\u00a0is a welcome step. Trustees of registered charities are under a legal duty to ensure that charitable funds are used lawfully and exclusively in furtherance of their charitable purposes. Compliance with these obligations is essential to\u00a0maintaining\u00a0public trust and confidence\u00a0in\u00a0the charity sector.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00d3rlaith Roe, ICJP\u2019s Public Affairs and Communications Officer, said:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Charity Commission\u2019s decision to open this inquiry\u00a0is a welcome and long-overdue step. For years,\u00a0ICJP\u00a0and others have\u00a0submitted\u00a0detailed evidence showing how UK-registered charities have channelled millions of pounds into\u00a0organisations connected\u00a0with illegal\u00a0Israeli settlements. Despite repeated complaints and mounting evidence, meaningful regulatory intervention\u00a0has too\u00a0often been absent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s announcement signals that these concerns are finally being treated with the seriousness they deserve. The inquiry must be thorough,\u00a0independent\u00a0and robust. Where charities have breached their legal duties or\u00a0failed to\u00a0conduct proper due diligence, the Charity Commission should not hesitate to use the full range of its\u00a0regulatory powers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Public confidence in the charity sector depends upon ensuring that charitable status cannot be used to\u00a0facilitate\u00a0activities connected with violations of international law.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
ENDS\u00a0<\/p>\n
Notes for Editors:\u00a0<\/p>\n
The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians is an independent organisation of lawyers, politicians and academics who support the rights of Palestinians\u00a0and aim to protect their rights\u00a0through the law.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
For more information, to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please contact the ICJP news desk at\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n