Pro-Israel charity rebuked by UK watchdog over ‘distressing’ video and lack of oversight

The UK Friends of the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers has been formally warned by the Charity Commission for publishing a “distressing” video online and failing to manage its content responsibly.

The regulator found the charity had breached its legal duties by having no policies in place to review what appeared on its website or YouTube channel. Instead, the trustees had handed full control to a former executive director, with no due diligence or oversight.

The video, which appeared to show an individual being killed, was later assessed and found not to depict a killing. But the Commission ruled it “distressing content” and flagged it as a serious governance failure.

A compliance case had initially been launched after concerns the charity was fundraising to support the Israeli military. But the commission found no evidence of funds being used beyond its legal remit, which is to support Israeli soldiers through welfare and education.

Joshua Farbridge, Head of Compliance Visits and Inspections at the Commission, said: “While the Commission accepts that trustees may delegate certain activities, they remain responsible for their charity.

“We’d expect a level of oversight that enables them to fulfil their statutory duty to ensure all activities are in line with their charity’s purposes,” he added. “Such safeguards could have prevented the sharing of distressing and inappropriate content.”

The official warning now requires trustees to review all existing online material, ensure all future content aligns with its charitable purposes, and draw up a proper social media policy.

In response, a spokesperson for the charity said the case began with “an unfounded third-party complaint” about possible military fundraising, which the commission found no evidence for and rejected.

They added that the video had appeared prior to October 2023 and had nothing to do with the events that followed. Once flagged, it was withdrawn immediately.

While indicating that its trustees regretted the outcome of the Commission investigation, the charity said it was confident the warning would be “read within the very limited context in which it was made.”