Feb 05 2025 10 mins 1
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The Charity Commission is facing accusations of double standards and dragging its feet over its investigation into a UK charity which raises funds for recruitment and welfare programmes for Israeli soldiers and has hosted videos of killed Palestinians on its fundraising pages.
The UK Friends of the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel's Soldiers (UKAWIS) has been under scrutiny for more than a year, with allegations that its fundraising activities potentially breached UK charity law by aiding a foreign military, as first reported by Byline Times last January.
At the heart of the allegations is a promotional video linked to UKAWIS, which appeared to show thermal-imaging footage of Palestinians being killed during military operations.
Since the complaints, the website of UKAWIS has gone offline amid an ongoing inquiry by the Charity Commission. But the reporting of the presence of the video online by this paper sparked calls for the charity's activities to be reined in.
However, despite opening a compliance case in early 2024, the Commission has yet to make any findings. This is in marked contrast to its decisive response in a case opened around the same time, concerning a fundraising campaign for an Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) soldier by Chabad Lubavitch Centres North East London and Essex Limited.
On January 9, the Charity Commission issued an Official Warning to Chabad Lubavitch Centres after determining that it had violated UK charity law not only because the fundraising campaign was outside the charity's stated purposes, but also because it was unlawful for any UK charity to provide aid to a foreign armed force or its soldiers.
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The campaign, which raised £2,280, allocated funds for non-lethal military equipment and direct support for the soldier, actions deemed outside the charity's purposes.
In a statement announcing the official warning given to Chabad Lubavitch Centres, Helen Earner, Director for Regulatory Services at the Charity Commission said: "It is not lawful, or acceptable, for a charity to raise funds to support a soldier of a foreign military. Charities with appropriate purposes can, in law, raise funds to promote the efficiency of the UK armed forces. However, providing aid or military supplies to any foreign armed force is not a charitable purpose, and no charity can legally undertake such activity."
The regulator's delay in addressing concerns about UKAWIS contrasts sharply with its swift action against Chabad Lubavitch Centres. In response to questions concerning the lack of outcome to the investigation into UKAWIS, the Charity Commission said that it does not comment on live cases but that "any proven wrongdoing will be dealt with robustly."
In the meantime, however, UKAWIS continues to send funds to support IDF soldiers through its sister organisation in Israel, the Association for the Welfare of Israel's Soldiers which is directly administered by the IDF. The UKAWIS annual accounts published late on the 17th January 2025 state that:
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To support its work, subscribe to the monthly Byline Times print edition, packed with exclusive investigations, news, and analysis.
Help us build the better media Britain deserves
The Charity Commission is facing accusations of double standards and dragging its feet over its investigation into a UK charity which raises funds for recruitment and welfare programmes for Israeli soldiers and has hosted videos of killed Palestinians on its fundraising pages.
The UK Friends of the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel's Soldiers (UKAWIS) has been under scrutiny for more than a year, with allegations that its fundraising activities potentially breached UK charity law by aiding a foreign military, as first reported by Byline Times last January.
At the heart of the allegations is a promotional video linked to UKAWIS, which appeared to show thermal-imaging footage of Palestinians being killed during military operations.
Since the complaints, the website of UKAWIS has gone offline amid an ongoing inquiry by the Charity Commission. But the reporting of the presence of the video online by this paper sparked calls for the charity's activities to be reined in.
However, despite opening a compliance case in early 2024, the Commission has yet to make any findings. This is in marked contrast to its decisive response in a case opened around the same time, concerning a fundraising campaign for an Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) soldier by Chabad Lubavitch Centres North East London and Essex Limited.
On January 9, the Charity Commission issued an Official Warning to Chabad Lubavitch Centres after determining that it had violated UK charity law not only because the fundraising campaign was outside the charity's stated purposes, but also because it was unlawful for any UK charity to provide aid to a foreign armed force or its soldiers.
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Receive the monthly Byline Times newspaper and help to support fearless, independent journalism that breaks stories, shapes the agenda and holds power to account.
PAY ANNUALLY - £39.50 A YEAR
PAY MONTHLY - £3.75 A MONTH
MORE OPTIONS
We're not funded by a billionaire oligarch or an offshore hedge-fund. We rely on our readers to fund our journalism. If you like what we do, please subscribe.
The campaign, which raised £2,280, allocated funds for non-lethal military equipment and direct support for the soldier, actions deemed outside the charity's purposes.
In a statement announcing the official warning given to Chabad Lubavitch Centres, Helen Earner, Director for Regulatory Services at the Charity Commission said: "It is not lawful, or acceptable, for a charity to raise funds to support a soldier of a foreign military. Charities with appropriate purposes can, in law, raise funds to promote the efficiency of the UK armed forces. However, providing aid or military supplies to any foreign armed force is not a charitable purpose, and no charity can legally undertake such activity."
The regulator's delay in addressing concerns about UKAWIS contrasts sharply with its swift action against Chabad Lubavitch Centres. In response to questions concerning the lack of outcome to the investigation into UKAWIS, the Charity Commission said that it does not comment on live cases but that "any proven wrongdoing will be dealt with robustly."
In the meantime, however, UKAWIS continues to send funds to support IDF soldiers through its sister organisation in Israel, the Association for the Welfare of Israel's Soldiers which is directly administered by the IDF. The UKAWIS annual accounts published late on the 17th January 2025 state that:
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