Key facts
- The ICJP has formally complained to the Charity Commission about the Gainsborough Trust's support for an illegal Israeli settlement.
- The Gainsborough Trust's stated objectives include collecting and distributing funding to benefit inhabitants of Modiin Illit and surrounding areas.
- The UK government considers the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories to be illegal.
- A Declassified investigation found six British charities may have sent nearly £2 million to illegal Israeli settlements in the last three years.
- The Gainsborough Trust reported an income of over £448,000 between 2021 and 2025.
- Approximately £120,000 of the Trust's funds went to "higher education" institutions, and £70,000 to "basic education of Jewish principles".
The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has called on the British Charity Commission to investigate the Gainsborough Trust, a UK-registered charity, for its alleged support of an illegal Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank. The legal group submitted a formal complaint, citing the Trust's publicly listed objectives which include distributing funding to benefit inhabitants of Modiin Illit and surrounding areas.
The ICJP highlighted that the UK government, through Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, considers the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories illegal. They urged the Commission to determine if a UK-registered charity can lawfully support inhabitants of an illegal settlement and whether the trustees have fulfilled their duties.
This action follows a Declassified investigation which revealed that the Gainsborough Trust is among six British charities that have reportedly channeled nearly £2 million to illegal Israeli settlements over the past three years. The Gainsborough Trust's annual reports indicate that between 2021 and 2025, it allocated approximately £120,000 to "higher education" institutions and £70,000 to institutions focused on "basic education of Jewish principles", along with £2,595 to a "Religious Center for Prayer and Learning".
In June, the Charity Commission initiated a statutory inquiry into eight charities following accusations by Labour MP Melanie Ward that 32 British charities had sent £28 million to illegal Israeli settlements. The ICJP emphasized that the UK's recent sanctions against settlements underscore their illegality, aligning with a 2024 International Court of Justice advisory opinion. Orlaith Roe, the ICJP’s public affairs and communications officer, stated that the Charity Commission must ensure UK charities are not used to support unlawful or political activities outside their charitable purposes.