UK charity regulator found ‘mismanagement’ by Campaign Against Antisemitism
Campaign Against Antisemitism logo
Imran Mulla reports in Middle East Eye on 26 February 2026:
The UK’s Charity Commission has found “mismanagement” in the administration of the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) over a statement attacking the Labour government for a partial arms embargo on Israel.
The CAA is a UK-based charity that describes itself as combating antisemitism through advocacy, legal action and public awareness efforts.
It has faced controversy over allegations that it conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism, raising concerns about its impact on political debate regarding Palestinian rights.
In November 2024, The Guardian reported that the regulator was assessing a statement made that September by the CAA in which it criticised the UK government’s decision to suspend 30 arms export licences to Israel as “obscene”.
The statement, apparently since withdrawn from the CAA’s website, said the “British government is broadcasting that western allies should not be supplying Israel with the arms that it needs to fight to save the hostages and defeat Hamas. This is obscene.”
The regulator’s review followed a complaint in October by Labour MP and former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who accused the CAA of engaging in “highly political and contentious public attacks on the government and individual government ministers”.
McDonnell told Middle East Eye on Thursday: “I have been worried about the activities of the CAA for some time and so I am pleased that the Charity Commission has responded to some of my concerns and taken action against them. “I am hoping that any others who are offended by this organisation’s behaviour refer their concerns to the Charity Commission.”
In a letter to McDonnell on 29 September last year, not previously reported on and seen by MEE, the Charity Commission said it had “determined that it is appropriate to provide advice and guidance to ensure that the trustees comply with their legal duties and responsibilities and the law”. The regulator said it was not clear that all the content within the CAA statement “furthered the charity’s objectives” and that the charity’s trustees had not provided “sufficient documentation” relating to the decision to publish the statement.
“The Commission views failing to retain records relating to this decision making as mismanagement in the administration of this charity,” it said. The regulator said it had issued the CAA with a “remedial Action Plan” requiring trustees to “improve the administration, management and governance of the CAA in light of the concerns raised and our findings set out above”.