British charities funded illegal Israeli settlement in West Bank
Kasner Charitable Trust sent around £5.7 million ($7.66 million) to Bnei Akiva Yeshiva high school in Susya via another charity, UK Toremet.
The Susya settlement was established around 1983 south of the city of Hebron. It was founded next to the Palestinian village of Khirbet Susiya, which was declared an archaeological site by Israel three years later and had all its residents evicted.
Settlement expert Dror Etkes told The Guardian: 'The school is likely the largest single source of employment in the settlement, and constitutes one of the main elements of the entire settlement's existence.'
Baroness Warsi, the former Conservative chair, told The Guardian: 'It's appalling that any British national should be engaged in funding illegal settlements on occupied land — and it's even more disturbing that this is being subsidised by all of us taxpayers.'
She added: 'Serious action must be taken so that settlements which are illegal under international law, and at the heart of a regime of discrimination and displacement, cannot benefit from charitable donations.'
Labour MP Andy McDonald said: 'The government must urgently take the steps necessary to ban the use of funds originating from the UK being used to support any aspect of the illegal occupation.'
He added: 'Donations to illegal settlements should invalidate charitable status and result in individual prosecutions. If legislation is needed, we must do it.'
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