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UK charity funding school at heart of illegal Israeli settlement expansion

Published July 7, 2026 at 2:53 AM UTC

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A British charity, Friends of Yeshivat Shavei Hevron, has been funding a religious school situated in the heart of Hebron, a city in the occupied West Bank. Between 2019 and 2024, the charity sent nearly £200,000 to the Yeshiva, a Jewish religious school, which has been at the center of expansion plans for the illegal Israeli settlement in Hebron. The expansion includes the construction of a new dormitory, approved in June 2026, after Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich unilaterally broke a decades-old international agreement on control of Hebron to grant Israel planning authority. This development has raised significant concerns among Palestinian human rights defenders and international observers. Issa Amro, a Palestinian human rights defender from Hebron and co-founder of Youth Against Settlements, stated, "We want British charities to fund peace, not to fund obstacles for peace. This is very wrong." He further emphasized that the students at this yeshiva are known for aggressive behavior, and the new building will likely lead to more violence towards Palestinians, increased restrictions, and a heavier Israeli military presence. The situation in Hebron is already tense, with extensive systems of militarized separation isolating several hundred settlers inside the city from the Palestinian population. Palestinians are barred from certain streets, and walls and gates divide them from areas under Israeli military control. Hagit Ofran, from the Israeli advocacy group Peace Now, highlighted the impact of the yeshiva's existence, stating, "For this yeshiva to exist, thousands of Palestinians have already lost their shops, their housing and their daily livelihood in the heart of a Palestinian city." The Charity Commission, the UK regulator for charities, has been urged to investigate the legality of such donations. Labour MP Melanie Ward has raised concerns about UK-registered charities directing substantial funds towards Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. She emphasized that the existence and growth of Israeli settlements in the state of Palestine are globally recognized as major impediments to peace. Any activity supporting the maintenance and expansion of these settlements, such as that funded by these charities, is considered extremist and not of benefit to the UK public. The UK government has a clear stance on this matter, with the Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, stating that "charity systems are abused to funnel support to illegal settlements" and that "some evidence suggests that rules are being broken." The Charity Commission has been tasked with investigating links between UK charities and settlements. The situation in Hebron underscores the complexities of international law, charity regulations, and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The funding of institutions within illegal settlements raises questions about the role of international actors in the region and the ethical considerations surrounding such financial support. As investigations continue, the international community remains attentive to the developments in Hebron and the broader implications for peace and stability in the region.