A new report[1] has been submitted to the Charity Commission by IHRC, highlighting the activities of two domestic charities that appear to be channelling money to the Israeli armed forces, in open contravention of charity regulations.
According to the Charity Commission, raising money for the armed forces of a foreign country does not qualify as a charitable purpose but IHRC has found that two charities registered with the Commission have been facilitating donations to the Israeli Defence Forces which have been used to buy military equipment including drones, anti-tank missiles bulletproof vests, night vision goggles.
Of the two charities, UKGives Ltd and UK Toremet, the latter has already been the subject of a previous similar complaint in 2015 [2] and an investigation by the Charity Commission, begging the question as to why the UK charities regulator has allowed the situation to seemingly worsen.
Both UK Gives and UK Toremet have been listed by fundraisers post- October 7, as being the UK organisation through which UK donors can donate AND gift-aid that donation[3]. Both seem to work as a portal for directing UK donors to partner organisations based in Israel. One of the fundraising organisations using UK Toremet is One People, set up after 7 October 2023 to, in its own words, “provide IDF soldiers and rapid response teams with the bulletproof vests, helmets and other lifesaving equipment”.
Another, KEHgives (Kehillat Eretz Hemdah), openly boasts of having raised millions of dollars for equipment to support Israeli combat soldiers since October 7, 2003.
This is an inexhaustive report looking at the activities of just two registered charities in England. A more detailed examination of the Zionist charity sector in England and Wales may yet expose more examples of funds being channelled to the IDF.
Chair of IHRC Massoud Shadjareh said:
“This appears to be a huge dereliction of duty by the Charity Commission, in registering such charities with so little oversight. UK Toremet has been the subject of previous similar complaints in previous years, yet it appears the Charity Commission has failed to monitor the charity or the sector since those complaints were made.
“The information IHRC has compiled is sufficient for the Charity Commission to investigate both charities, particularly in view of the fact that they form part of a supply chain linking them to a state army that is currently on trial for genocide in the International Court of Justice. It is incumbent on the Commission to investigate this apparently flagrant abuse of charity status to carry out activities that are morally repugnant, legally dubious and potentially criminal.”
For more information or comment please contact the Press Office on (+44) 20 8904 4222 or (+44) 7958 522196 or email media@ihrc.org
Notes for editors:
[1] The full report ‘Enabling Genocide Fundraising in the UK: Questions for the Charity Commission’ can be read here.
[2] Read the full report from 2015 here. The response from the Commission to that report can be found in Appendix J in the 2024 report.
[3] Gift-aided means the UK government will gift the charity a 25% premium for every donation made by eligible donors.[ENDS]
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IHRC is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
Islamic Human Rights Commission
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Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222
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