Exclusive: UK charity regulator found 'mismanagement' by Campaign Against Antisemitism

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The statement, apparently since withdrawn from the CAA's website, said the “British government is broadcasting that western allies should not be supplying Israel with the arms that it needs to fight to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.”

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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”. 

Further complaints 

The Charity Commission also told McDonnell it had “received further complaints about the charity that were unrelated to your complaint about the article [statement].

"This included a second complaint you shared in April 2025 regarding the manner in which complaints were submitted by the charity about Dr Campbell to his employer Goldsmiths University in 2023.”

In August 2023, Goldsmiths, University of London launched an investigation into Ray Campbell after receiving a complaint from the CAA accusing him of posting antisemitic content on social media.

Campbell, an associate lecturer in theatre and performance at Goldsmiths and a teaching fellow at Royal Holloway, was suspended for five months during the investigation. 

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But in February 2025, Goldsmiths dismissed all allegations against Campbell and apologised, acknowledging that the five-month investigation caused him distress.

The regulator said it had “assessed the additional concerns raised about the charity as part of our case to ensure all the matters of concern were considered”.

MEE also understands that this week McDonnell raised fresh concerns with the Commission over a recent statement by the CAA attacking the High Court for ruling that the government’s ban on direct action group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation was “disproportionate”.

The CAA had said: “It is appalling that a court would be prepared to decriminalise an organisation whose sole purpose is to engage in criminal activity. It demonstrates that law and order has not only broken down in this country, but that the criminal justice system is not fit for purpose.”

It added: “This shocking verdict is only the latest in a long series of injustices that the legal system has permitted against British Jews.”

Jewish Voice for Liberation

In April 2020, Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), which last year changed its name to Jewish Voice for Liberation, filed a complaint with the Charity Commission against the CAA, accusing it of acting as a "highly politically partisan organisation which does not deserve charitable status". 

In September 2021, the CAA described JVL as an "antisemitism-denial group" and a "sham Jewish representative organisation" – a characterisation JVL strongly condemned.

JVL submitted another complaint in April 2022 to the Charity Commission, which then said in January 2023 that it was "assessing concerns" about the CAA and that it had opened a regulatory compliance case against the organisation. 

In May 2024, the Charity Commission closed the case, saying that JVL “has not demonstrated it has the required legal standing to make such an application”.

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But in November, it emerged the regulator was assessing a statement made in September by the CAA criticising the Labour government's decision to suspend 30 arms export licences to Israel.

Jenny Manson, co-chair of JVL, told MEE: “We at JVL are pleased that the Charity Commission is taking some action against the CAA and it is good to see them explaining their recent decisions to John McDonnell.”

Manson said she and McDonnell had benefited from the advice of British Jewish lawyer Sir Geoffrey Bindman, the founder of Bindman & Partners, who died last November.

McDonnell quoted Bindman’s opinion in his initial letter to the Charity Commission in 2024. He said: “CAA is, according to its website, ‘a volunteer-led charity dedicated to exposing and countering antisemitism through education and zero-tolerant enforcement of the law’.

“There being no evidence of antisemitism by the UK government or others targeted by CAA, the Charity Commission should consider afresh whether the actions of CAA violate its charitable status.”

MEE contacted the CAA for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.