Attorney General asked to advise on UK charity funding of illegal Israeli settlements

Hickman & Rose has appeared in the media in relation to its work for a client seeking a criminal investigation and regulatory action regarding charity funding  of an illegal Israeli settlement in the West Bank.

The Guardian reports how two UK charities donated a total of approximately £5.7m to the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva high school in Susya, in the Israeli-occupied territory.

Hickman & Rose contacted the Charity Commission about this issue in 2022, but the Commission replied that the issues raised were not within its regulatory role, and advised that the client report any concerns to SO15, the war crimes unit at the MPS, the Guardian reports.

Having done this, Hickman & Rose is now contesting  SO15’s decision not to pursue a criminal investigation against individuals at the relevant charities.

The Charity Commission told the Guardian: “Given the complex legal issues in relation to international law we are in the process of seeking renewed specialist advice from the attorney general.”