THE CHARITY watchdog must go further and investigate the “hundreds more British charities” funding Israeli settlements in Palestine, campaigners said after it launched an inquiry into eight organisations today.

Charity Commission investigators will focus on how organisations’ funds were used in settlements, the purpose of that spending and whether or not it was to further its charitable work, after “serious allegations” were made.

The watchdog said it plans to investigate other charities as well which “appear to expend charitable funds to support activities and/or projects within illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine.”

The investigation is a fact-finding mission, the commission said, justifying its decision not to name the initial eight organisations under scrutiny, citing potential risks to the safety and security of individuals.

Charities could be named when it publishes its report at a later date, the commission added.

Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) deputy director Peter Leary said: “This long overdue investigation is welcomed but it obscures the hundreds more British charities that are funding Israeli settlements on stolen Palestinian land. It must go further.

“For years concerns have been raised about British charities donating funds to Israeli settlements with overwhelming evidence that has either been ignored or dismissed without any regard.

“This includes JNF UK, which funds Israeli military programmes and maintains forests which erase Palestinian villages and ethnically cleanse their residents. The Charity Commission has shamefully refused to act.

“The British government has a legal obligation to end all aid and assistance to Israel’s unlawful military occupation and settlement enterprise.

“It must implement comprehensive sanctions on Israel, including a full arms embargo, and it must ban all trade which supports Israel’s grave violations of international law, including all trade with Israeli settlements.”

Stop the War Coalition vice-chair Chris Nineham said the investigation was welcome news “given the atrocities being carried out on the West Bank.

“Hopefully there will be real sanctions against them,” he told the Morning Star, adding: “It is a scandal that the government is not directly confronting the Israeli state on the war crimes taking place there.”

It follows an investigation by Declassified UK earlier this year, which revealed how Israeli organisation Shivat Zion offered to help Brits move to illegal settlements in Palestine it called “awesome.”

Shivat Zion, which claims to help support “smooth integration into Israeli life for Jewish individuals and families,” had also reportedly told supporters it could benefit from UK Gift Aid by directing donations it received via a separate British charity, UK Toremet Ltd.

A Shivat Zion representative said donations “go through” UK Toremet which “ensures the donations properly reach Shivat Zion,” according to emails seen by Declassified UK.

Through this application of Gift Aid, the Israeli organisation would receive an extra 25 per cent on charitable donations.

Following these revelations in April, MPs called for sanctions against Shivat Zion and Labour MP Grahame Morris said he was “appalled that UK taxpayers may have been funding an organisation that helps people move to illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.”

Earlier reporting from the Guardian found that two British charities had transferred about £5.7 million to the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva high school in Susya, in the Israeli-occupied territory.

In a formal complaint to the regulator in June of last year, Labour MP Melanie Ward said that 32 charities in England and Wales had donated at least £28m to Israeli settlements.

The commission’s decision to launch the inquiry yesterday was understood to be a direct response to Ms Ward’s complaint, the paper reported.

Its assistant director of high risk compliance, Stephen Roake, said: “All charities must be able to demonstrate that they are delivering on their charitable purposes, wherever in the world they operate and whatever they do.

“Serious allegations have been made about UK charities operating in illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine, so our first step is to establish the facts. 

”Only then can we determine if regulatory action is required, based on our findings and the evidence we see.

“Our fact-finding will also help us develop regulatory guidance for charities, which will help ensure public trust and confidence in charities.”

JNF UK was contacted for a response.