Exclusive: UK Charity Commission criticises synagogue for hosting Great Israeli Real Estate Event
The UK's Charity Commission has criticised trustees of the Edgware United Synagogue in London for hosting a real estate event that promoted properties in illegal Israeli settlements in June, Middle East Eye can reveal.
The charity regulator has also decided to review a recent decision to close a compliance case on the charity.
The commission told MEE that "should any further concerns about the charity arise we will consider escalating our regulatory engagement".
MEE understands that this internal review will be conducted by a senior officer in the commission.
On 15 June MEE reported that properties in illegal Israeli settlements were advertised at the Great Israeli Real Estate Event.
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The event's organisers later admitted properties in Israeli settlements were promoted at the synagogue, saying it happened "by mistake".
A Charity Commission spokesperson told MEE: "We share concerns about the potential impact, including on public trust and confidence, of registered charities being seen to actively assist in the development or expansion of illegal settlements in Palestine. We are also clear that charity premises must not be misused.
"Our initial compliance case found that despite their own misgivings about the event, and an organisation-wide decision to not permit it in their premises, the charity’s trustees allowed it to go ahead in one of its synagogues and did not put in place sufficient checks and controls to make sure the terms of that booking were kept."
The spokesperson added: "The Commission is critical of the charity’s trustees for both decisions and have warned them to fix ongoing weaknesses in its governance.
"While we cannot make decisions for trustees, we have set out clear expectations for where improvement is necessary to prevent any repeat of a similar a serious incident in the future.
"That expectation stands while we carry out a review of our initial decision. Should any further concerns about the charity arise we will consider escalating our regulatory engagement."
The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), a UK-based legal group, had submitted a formal complaint to Britain's charity regulator on 15 June, requesting that it "open an urgent regulatory compliance case into Edgware United Synagogue" in connection to the event on 14 June.
The complaint said it concerned "the use of charitable premises and charitable resources to facilitate a commercial event promoting property located in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory (“oPt”) notwithstanding extensive public concern, legal warnings, media scrutiny and direct notification of serious legal, regulatory and reputational issues arising from the underlying activities."
The complaint added that "charitable premises and charitable resources were made available for a commercial exhibition at which properties located in illegal Israeli settlements in occupied territory were promoted and marketed.
"The trustees thereby permitted the charity’s facilities and reputation to be associated with, and used in support of, illegal activities which had already been identified as giving rise to significant legal, regulatory and reputational concerns."
The Charity Commission responded to the complaint on 28 July. Its response, seen by MEE, said "we considered the concerns highlighted in the complaint, reviewed the available evidence, and engaged with the Charity's trustees.
"Following our engagement, the Commission provided the trustees with regulatory advice and guidance under section 15(2) of the Charities Act 2011."
Section 15(2) of the Charities Act 2011 gives the commission the power to issue formal regulatory advice to trustees of charities.
"The trustees are expected to take account of and act on this advice going forward," the commission said. "The Commission has now closed its case into the Charity. Thank you for bringing these matters to our attention."
'Charities cannot ignore credible legal concerns'
An ICJP spokesperson told MEE: "We welcome the Charity Commission's decision to review our complaint, but it is now crucial that such a review must meaningfully engage with the evidence we submitted, reconsider whether regulatory advice alone was an adequate response, and result in robust regulatory action where breaches or misconduct are identified.
"The Commission's role is not simply to issue guidance after the fact, but to ensure that charities comply with their legal obligations and that the charitable sector is not used to facilitate or promote activity connected to illegal settlements."
MEE has contacted the Edgware United Synagogue for comment.
Then-Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said in June that ministers had asked the Advertising Standards Authority to investigate the Great Israeli Real Estate Event.
Harey Zahav developers participated in the event, promoting Kfar Eldad, an illegal West Bank settlement south of Bethlehem, and Teneh Omarim, another illegal settlement near Hebron.
Tivuch Shelly, a major Israeli real estate agency, advertised property in Ma'ale Adummim – an occupied West Bank settlement – in a brochure at the event, describing an "exciting new project just 10 minutes from Jerusalem!".
Jerusalem Real Estate, meanwhile, advertised projects in French Hill and Ramat Eshkol, illegal settlements in occupied East Jerusalem, in a brochure.
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