In a significant development, the Charity Commission has formally admonished Chabad Lubavitch Centres North East London and Essex Limited after investigating a fundraising initiative aimed at supporting an Israeli soldier.

The north London-based charity set up a fundraising page in October 2023, in the immediate aftermath of a terrorist attack by Hamas, to collect funds for an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier stationed in northern Israel.

The fundraising initiative, which raised approximately £2,280 before its deletion in January 2024, allocated £937 directly to an individual soldier.

Funds were also spent on purchasing non-lethal military equipment, which trustees subsequently transferred to the same soldier.

This action, however, contradicted established charity regulations, which strictly prohibit providing aid or military equipment to foreign armed forces, leading to an official warning from the Charity Commission.

Helen Earner, Director for Regulatory Services at the Charity Commission, articulated the rationale behind the commission's decision: 'It is not lawful, or acceptable, for a charity to raise funds to support a soldier of a foreign military.

Our Official Warning requires the charity to set things right and is a clear message to other charities to stay true to their established purposes.

Any failure by the charity to implement the requirements in the Official Warning may lead to further regulatory action.'

The regulatory inquiry was triggered by 180 public complaints and concluded that the charity's fundraising activities deviated from its declared objectives.

The Charity Commission's findings highlighted instances of misconduct and/or mismanagement, alongside breaches of trust.

The charity's stated purposes include advancing orthodox Jewish religion, promoting orthodox Jewish education, and relieving poverty and sickness.

In its defense, the charity released a statement expressing their intention to supply warm clothing for Israeli reservists in response to emerging social media narratives about insufficient gear.

'In the immediate aftermath of 7 October, there was concern, fueled by social media reports, that due to the haste and sheer numbers of reservists being called up, there was not anything like enough winter clothing and protective gear to keep these young people safe from harm.

Understandably, our community wanted to help.

We acknowledge that in facilitating a campaign to provide warm clothing and the like, however briefly and however modest its results, the charity exceeded its purposes and we are grateful for the guidance provided by the Charity Commission to ensure that this won’t happen again,' said a spokesperson for the charity.

Despite the transgression, the charity, which expends approximately £766,000 annually on charitable activities, stands committed to its core objectives and is aligning its future activities in compliance with charity law.

The incident serves as a poignant reminder for charities to strictly adhere to their declared missions while addressing pressing humanitarian needs.

Charitable institutions in the UK are authorized to raise funds for enhancing the efficiency of UK armed forces.

However, fundraising for military forces outside of the UK remains outside permissible boundaries, underscoring the necessity for charities to exercise due diligence in their operational undertakings.