Australian charity removes IDF, West Bank settlement fundraisers

A charity linked to Israel’s military and illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank has removed four fundraising campaigns from its homepage. Stephanie Tran with update.

Chai Charitable FoundationThe company, which reported $19.1 million in tax-deductible donations in fiscal year 2025, previously said: MWM That it does not fund the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) or illegal settlements.

But until yesterday, Chai’s homepage hosted campaigns linked to settlement communities in the West Bank, as well as fundraisers for organizations that publicly stated that they provided direct support to IDF soldiers.

These campaigns included fundraisers for One People for Israel and Brothers for Life, both of which describe their work as supporting IDF soldiers, as well as appeals linked to the illegal settlement communities of Tekoa and Hebron in the occupied West Bank.

Although the fundraisers have been removed from the site’s homepage, links to donate to the IDF and West Bank campaigns are still live.

Chai, which has been registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) since 2017, directs the majority of its funding overseas. The 2025 financial report shows $15.39 million in grants to be used outside Australia, compared to $1.62 million spent domestically.

Charity?

Chai is certified as a Public Assistance Institution (PBI) is a name reserved for charities whose primary purpose is to directly alleviate poverty, suffering or distress.

PBIs are given the most preferential treatment under Australia’s charity law, including exemption from income tax, eligibility to receive tax-deductible donations and access to fringe benefit tax deductions not available to most other charities.

The charity is overseen by a three-member board comprising Joseph Gestetner, Robyn Goldhirsch and Yehuda Devries. Applications to ACNC.

IDF fundraising events

Among the campaigns removed from Chai’s homepage was a fundraiser for One People for Israel, founded in 2023 by Sydney-born Ari Briggs. emigrated to Israel. One People for Israel says its mission is to deliver “life-saving equipment” to IDF soldiers, including helmets and ceramic vests. works directly Along with senior IDF logistics officials to procure equipment to military specifications.

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A letter from the IDF dated October 14, 2023 acknowledges that Briggs provided supplies to Israeli military units. Inside public statementsBriggs described One for Israel as a private initiative that can “cut through the red tape” to deliver equipment more efficiently than the military itself.

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Smotrich’s Friends

Briggs also Administrator of RegavimA pro-settler organization that campaigns against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. My Regavim was: established In 2006 by Yehuda Eliahu and Bezalel Smotrich “in response to the Supreme Court case brought by Peace Now in September 2005 against the illegal outpost of Harasha in Samaria.”

In 2015, ABC described Briggs as: leading figure He is behind efforts to demolish the Palestinian village of Susiya, which was receiving aid from the Australian government at the time.

Source: Facebook

Briggs did not respond to a request for comment.

Chai also hosted a fundraising campaign for Brothers for Life, an Israeli organization that supports wounded IDF soldiers.

Raising funds for settlements in the West Bank

Chai also hosted fundraising campaigns for the settlement communities of Tekoa and Hebron in the occupied West Bank, which Australia considers illegal under international law.

Accordingly UN statisticsSince October 2023, 1,049 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank. The vast majority (98%) of them were killed by Israeli forces using live ammunition and air strikes.

Tekoa has been a focal point of settler expansion and violence in recent years. At least 100 Palestinians killed since October 2023 forced out Tekoa and its surrounding lands were sharply Increase in settler attacks.

Tekoa and surrounding police stations, according to Israeli NGO Kerem Navot expanded more than other residential areasThis accounts for approximately 4,500 of the estimated 40,000 acres of land taken in the West Bank since October 2023.

2025 investigation with Guard Found Airbnb and booking.com Describing Tekoa as a “quiet, respectful and diverse enclave”, the listings enabled Israeli settlers to profit from the seizure of Palestinian land in the West Bank.

By the way, Hebron is one of them most heavily militarized cities It is in the occupied West Bank and is a long-running flashpoint of violence. Hundreds of Israeli settlers live in fortified settlements guarded by Israeli troops in the heart of the Palestinian city; Tens of thousands of Palestinians face severe movement restrictions, road closures and military checkpoints.

Accordingly Israeli human rights group B’Tselem

violent behavior of settlers has become routine in the region.

“Over the years, systematic abuse and harassment of Palestinians by settlers has become an established part of life in Hebron. Abuse often takes the form of violent violence. Documented examples include physical assault, stone-throwing, store and door vandalism, theft, verbal abuse, attempts to oppress Palestinians, and numerous cases of armed assault. In one such case, a 12-year-old Palestinian girl was shot and killed.”

Chai replied

Chai Charity Foundation said: MWM “It does not provide equipment, funds or other support to the IDF or any of its units. The Chai Charitable Foundation does not support any activities linked to organizations on DFAT’s sanctioned organizations list, including those based in the West Bank. Regular checks are carried out to ensure that funds are not given to organizations on DFAT’s sanctions list.”

They stated that they employ “an overseas Compliance Officer who oversees the engagement, vetting and monitoring of our overseas partners” to ensure “the aims developed are consistent with our mission and status as a registered charity in Australia”.

“We adhere to external standards of conduct published by the ACNC and DGR conditions issued by the ATO,” the trust said.

Chai did not respond to detailed follow-up questions about his involvement with One People for Israel or the settlement campaigns, which were removed from his site.

Revealed: Illegal settlements in Israel where Australian taxpayers are subsidizing the IDF

Stephanie is a journalist with a background in both law and journalism. He worked at The Guardian and as a paralegal, where he assisted Crikey’s defense team in the high-profile libel case brought by Lachlan Murdoch. His reporting has been recognized nationally, earning him the 2021 Guardians of Democracy Award for Student Investigative Reporting and a nomination for the 2021 Walkley Student Journalist of the Year Award.