Twelve charities who have aligned themselves with the Climate Justice Coalition (CJC) may have been acting illegally by also signing up to the Coalition’s campaigns against Israel.

UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) wrote to the 12 charities who are members of CJC, but who have also become associated with the coalition’s campaigns against Israel.

CJC organised the March for Global Climate Justice, which took place in November 2024, but which was held to address both the climate crisis and “genocide” in Gaza.  The flyer stated “The climate crisis and genocide in Gaza are inextricably linked and we must put an end to both.”

This upset Climate campaigners who did not agree with CJC’s anti-Israel campaign, and who contacted UKLFI.

CJC also listed several anti-Israel campaigns on its website.  This page advertised campaigns including a national march for Palestine;  a campaign against Barclays Bank headed “don’t bank on genocide” with War on Want; a campaign against arms sales to Israel with Global Justice Now; “Ceasefire now” with Friends of the Earth; and a campaign against AXA insurance company, which it accuses of “insurance of … investments in banks and companies that are financing or complicit in enabling Israeli illegal settlements and genocide in Palestine.”.  

However, several of the charities which are either members or associated with CJC do not include political campaigning against Israel as part of their charitable objects.

Charities are allowed to conduct political campaigns as long as they further their charitable objectives, but in the case of the 12 charities identified by UKLFI, this was not the case.

UKLFI wrote to the charities in mid-November 2024 to point out that aligning themselves with the CJC and its anti-Israel campaigns was outside their charitable objects and therefore illegal.   However, its letters were ignored.  UKLFI has therefore reported 12 of the charities to the Charity Commission for these breaches.

It now appears that CJC has removed the index to the web-page advertising the “Free Palestine” campaigns from its website.

Caroline Turner, director of UKLFI commented: “We have nothing against organisations marching against climate change – indeed, we commend their efforts on this very important issue – but linking this to a false accusation of Genocide against Israel appears nothing short of antisemitic. Furthermore, charities should only campaign for issues that further their charitable objectives.”

The 12 charities are listed below:

The Society of St Columban for foreign missions

Friends of the Earth Charitable Trust

Global Justice Now

London Mining Network

Faith for the Climate

Platform

Students Organising for Sustainability

Climate Outreach and Information Network

Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants

Migrants Organise Ltd

Racial Justice Network

Stop Climate Chaos Scotland