The UK Charity Commission has called for action to stop donations being made to the Israeli army, as this is a clear breach of charity standards.
A new report by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) highlights the activities of two UK charities that appear to be paying the Israeli military. In a statement, the IHRC said: “According to the Charity Commission, raising money for a foreign country’s armed forces does not qualify as a charitable purpose, but the IHRC found that two charities registered with the Commission were making donations to Israel. Defense forces used to buy military equipment including drones, anti-tank missiles, bulletproof vests and night vision goggles.
Of two charities, UKGives Ltd and UK Toremet, the latter of which was already the subject of a similar previous complaint in 2015 and the subject of an investigation by the Charity Commission, “this raises the question of why charity regulation UK charities have apparently allowed the situation to deteriorate,” the IHRC said.
Both UK Gives and UK Doremet were listed by the fundraiser after 7 October as “UK organizations where UK donors can match that donation and gift-aid”. Both appear to act as a gateway for directing UK donors to partner organizations based in Israel,” the report said.
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One of the fundraising organizations using UK Toremet is One People, created after October 7, 2023 to, in its own words, “provide bulletproof vests, helmets and other life-saving equipment to IDF soldiers and rapid response teams.”
Another, KEHgives (Kehillat Eretz Hemdah), openly boasts that it has raised millions of dollars since October 7, 2003, for equipment to support Israeli combatants.
“This is a comprehensive report looking at the activities of two UK-registered charities. A closer look at the Zionist charity sector in England and Wales may reveal further examples of funds being channeled to the IDF,” the IHRC said.
IHRC President Massoud Shadjareh said: “The information compiled by the IHRC is sufficient for the Charity Commission to investigate the two charities, especially considering that they are part of a supply chain that links them to the state’s military, which is currently under investigation for genocide before the International Court of Justice for acts that are morally repugnant, legally questionable and potentially criminal.” In order to carry out, it is the responsibility of the Commission to investigate this gross misuse of the trust.
Neither UK Gives nor UK Toremet had responded to MEMO’s request for comment by the time of going to print.
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