‘Britain can stop this’: The East Jerusalem yeshiva taking UK charity money and planning expansion
‘Britain can stop this’: The East Jerusalem yeshiva taking UK charity money and planning expansion Submitted by Oscar Rickett on Mon, 09/21/2026 - 14:00 Ohr Somayach, a network of ultra-Orthodox institutions, has permission to expand into Sheikh Jarrah A young man in a New York apartment is watching a news programme about antisemitism, illustrated with images of pro- Palestine protests and…
Britain can potentially halt the expansion of Ohr Somayach, an ultra-Orthodox yeshiva network in East Jerusalem that has received funding from UK charities. The yeshiva, which caters to less observant Jewish students from the US and other western countries, has submitted plans to construct an 11-story building in Sheikh Jarrah, a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem that has long been a target for Israeli settlers.
Despite the protests from locals and their allies, the Jerusalem District Planning Committee approved the plan in 2026 after years of delays and disputes. Since 2013, two UK-based charities, Achisomoch Aid Company and British Friends of Yehuda Yaale, have donated over $1.3 million to Ohr Somayach. A third charity, UK Toremet, facilitates donations to the yeshiva and has been linked to Israeli settlements and human rights abuses.
The UK Charity Commission is currently investigating UK Toremet, and Achisomoch and UK Toremet did not respond to Middle East Eye's requests for comment.
Written by urgent.news from Middle East Eye's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
