UK Charity Funding for West Bank Settlements Draws Scrutiny and Official Probe
London— British authorities are examining allegations that charities in England and Wales directed millions of pounds toward Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, after a Labour lawmaker said at least $37 million had been donated to settlement-linked causes and called for regulatory action.
Melanie Ward, a member of parliament from the governing Labour Party, said 32 charities had collectively donated at least $37 million to organizations connected to Israeli settlements. She warned that if the donations qualified for the United Kingdom’s Gift Aid tax relief scheme, British taxpayers may have indirectly subsidized activities linked to settlements regarded as illegal under international law.
According to Ward, taxpayer-funded relief associated with those donations could amount to roughly $7.5 million. She described such a possibility as unacceptable and urged regulators to sever charitable links to settlement-related activities.
In a letter to the Charity Commission, Ward argued that support for the maintenance or expansion of settlements undermines efforts toward a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and raises concerns regarding compliance with both domestic and international legal standards.
The issue gained additional prominence after Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Tuesday that the Charity Commission had been instructed to investigate links between British charities and Israeli settlements.
Ward, formerly chief executive of Medical Aid for Palestinians, identified the Kasner Charitable Trust and UK Toremet among organizations that had allegedly directed funds to institutions operating in settlements. She cited reports indicating that the two charities donated approximately $7.6 million last year to the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva high school in the occupied West Bank.
She also alleged that the Kasner Charitable Trust had provided support to a yeshiva in Hebron, while UK Toremet had previously facilitated donations to Regavim, a pro-settler advocacy group co-founded by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Regavim has drawn international attention for its support of settlement activity and policies affecting Palestinian communities. Ward argued that funding directed toward such organizations does not satisfy the public-benefit principles required of registered charities.
UK Toremet also acts as a payment processor for the Jgive fundraising platform, through which donations can be directed to a range of Israeli and Zionist organizations, including some entities that have recently faced sanctions from the British government.
Responding to the allegations, a spokesperson for the Charity Commission said the regulator was carefully assessing the issues raised.
“The serious matters” outlined in the complaints are under consideration, the spokesperson said, adding that the commission was actively examining broader legal and compliance questions involving charities operating in Palestine.
The investigation comes amid heightened international scrutiny of Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, an issue that continues to generate diplomatic and legal debate among governments, international organizations and advocacy groups.
