LONDON: The UK’s charity authority is investigating organizations that donate funds to illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine, The Guardian reported on Wednesday.
The Charity Commission is aiming to determine the amount of charitable funds going to illegal settlements, whether those funds furthered the efforts of settlement groups, and the necessity of any regulatory action.
It follows extensive reporting on the issue by The Guardian, which revealed last year that two charities in the UK had transferred about £5.7 million ($7.6 million) to the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva high school located in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory.
Melanie Ward, an MP with the governing Labour Party, in June last year made a formal complaint to the charity regulator, citing figures showing that 32 charities in England and Wales had donated at least £28 million to Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law. The Charity Commission’s inquiry is a direct response to Ward’s letter.
Stephen Roake, assistant director of high-risk compliance at the regulator, 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.
