London, 30th March 2026 – The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has submitted a formal complaint to the Charity Commission regarding its handling of ICJP’s original complaint about the Jewish National Fund Charitable Trust (JNF), raising serious concerns about the adequacy, reasoning, and transparency of the Commission’s response.
ICJP’s original complaint, submitted in March 2025, set out detailed evidence that charitable funds were used in connection with projects and partner organisations linked to Israeli military activities. JNF UK’s financial statements from 2007-2023 reveal that it transmitted £3,333,000 to ‘beneficiary organisations’ in Israel from 2007-2023, funding programmes with direct links to Israel’s military.
These concerns arise in the context of the ongoing genocide in Gaza and raise serious issues under both UK charity law and international humanitarian law.
In February 2026, the Charity Commission concluded that the activities in question were “capable of being charitable.” ICJP has challenged that conclusion, arguing that the Commission failed to properly engage with the evidence and has not provided sufficient legal reasoning to justify its findings.
ICJP highlights that repeated concerns regarding JNF-linked entities over several years should have been treated as a clear regulatory risk indicator requiring closer scrutiny. However, the Commission’s response does not explain how, or whether, this broader context was taken into account. In its complaint, ICJP calls on the Charity Commission to review its handling of the case and to provide a full and transparent explanation of its reasoning.
ICJP’s Legal Researcher Shaima Dallali said:
“This case raises serious questions about the credibility of charity regulation in the UK. When detailed evidence shows charitable funds may be linked to military structures during an ongoing genocide, the regulator cannot simply dismiss those concerns without proper scrutiny. This is about whether the Charity Commission is willing to uphold the law and protect public trust – or whether serious allegations are being brushed aside.”
ICJP is calling for robust regulatory scrutiny where there are credible concerns about the use of charitable funds in contexts linked to violations of international law.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
1. The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians is an independent organisation of lawyers, politicians and academics who support the rights of Palestinians and aim to protect their rights through the law.
ICJP’s previous work on JNF UK can be read about here, with reference to the Attorney General, OFSI,the UN Special Rapporteur and the previous complaint to the Charity Commission.
3. For more information, or to arrange an interview with an ICJP spokesperson, please contact the ICJP news desk at [email protected].
Photo Credit: Zapatista2010 via Flickr
