THE Charity Commission is investigating the UK Lawyers for Israel’s (UKLFI) charitable arm following a complaint by campaign group Cage International.

The complaint, which also targets the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), raises concerns about alleged breaches of the Charity Commission’s code of conduct, Cage said.

Britain’s charity law bans organisations from promoting hatred or spreading harmful views about people based on their race or religion. 

But Cage’s report, Britain’s Apartheid Apologists, claims that UKLFI Charitable Trust and the CAA have helped to “legitimise Israel’s racist, apartheid and genocidal policies.”

The report accuses both groups of using legal and regulatory systems to silence pro-Palestinian voices and activism in Britain. 

It says this has harmed free speech and undermined democracy.

The complaint says the two groups have defended Israeli policies in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem — areas that the International Court of Justice recently said are under racial segregation and apartheid.

Cage also says the charities have caused serious personal and professional harm to individuals by making what it describes as “frivolous and malicious complaints” to regulators, employers and universities.

It has urged the Charity Commission to review where the organisations get their funding, pointing to alleged ties with the Israeli government and pro-Israel lobby groups.

Cage International’s Anas Mustapha said: “UKLFI and CAA are Britain’s leading enablers of the live-streamed genocide. 

“They aid regulators like the Charity Commission to stifle free speech and pro-Palestinian activism in the UK.”

“The Charity Commission must end its charity cover used to provide an advocacy infrastructure in support of genocide.”

A Charity Commission spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we already have an active case open into UKLFI Charitable Trust.

“Further concerns have been raised with us about the charity, which we will assess as part of the case to determine what, if any, role there is for us as regulator.”

The spokesperson clarified that the case concerns the relationship between the UKLFI Charitable Trust, a registered charity, and UKLFI, which is not a charity and therefore falls outside the commission’s remit.

No timeframe was given for the investigation.

Last month, the Commission also issued a warning to the UK Association for Welfare of Israeli Soldiers (UK-AWIS) for posting a “distressing” video on its website during fundraising activities for Israeli troops.

A UKLFI Charitable Trust spokesperson said it had not received any information about the complaint and was not aware of this being investigated, adding that the organisation “seeks to counter widespread antisemitism and racist hostility towards Israel by providing accurate information on relevant legal issues.”

The CAA was approached for comment.