Pro-Israel legal group under Charity Commission investigation after CAGE report

The fundraising arm for UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) is under investigation for breaching charity laws following a report and complaint published by CAGE International, accusing the pro-Israel organisation of "abusing regulatory authorities in Britain".

The UK Charity Commission confirmed last week that it is currently probing the UKLFI Charitable Trust’s relationship with UK Lawyers for Israel, its parent organisation.

This comes after CAGE International released a report in May accusing the organisation and the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) of failing to comply with the commission’s code of conduct by trying "to legitimise Israel’s racist, apartheid and genocidal policies".

"UKLFI and CAA are Britain’s leading enablers of the livestreamed genocide. They aid regulators like the Charity Commission to stifle free speech and pro-Palestinian activism in the UK," CAGE International’s Head of Public Advocacy, Anas Mustapha, said in a statement.

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

The report, "Britain’s Apartheid Apologists", accused both groups of trying to legitimise Israel’s actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and targeting pro-Palestine individuals through complaints to regulatory bodies, universities, and employers.

It argues that the groups' actions contravene UK charity law, which prohibits supporting human rights violations.

CAGE also accused both of trying to shield Israel from accountability. It urged the watchdog to access the groups’ funding, given their "close ties" to the Israeli government and other pro-Israel lobby groups.

The Charity Commission told reporters that further concerns have been raised about the charity.

UKFLI’s protests led to the Barts Health NHS Trust banning staff from wearing political symbols after some wore pro-Palestine badges, as well as having Palestine murals removed in East London.

Complaints by the group also led to artwork by Palestinian children from Gaza being removed from London's Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

The legal organisation’s head, Jonathan Turner, was further slammed for saying the famine in Gaza may help with "obesity", amid Israel's obstruction of aid to the enclave.

Protesters from Led by Donkeys projected a video outside the Charity Commission’s headquarters, calling for UKLFI’s charity to be investigated.