Jerusalem Foundation in the UK

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UK fundraising charity (registered charity 258306) for the Jerusalem Foundation

The Jerusalem Foundation (UK)

Logo Jerusalem Foundation logo.jpg
Jerusalem Foundation logo
Type Registered charity
Registration ID 258306 (Charity Commission)
Status Registered
Headquarters 20 Gloucester Place, London, W1U 8HA
Area served Israel
Registration England and Wales; registered 14 April 1969
Key people Jerusalem Foundation Trustees Limited (corporate trustee); Lord Leigh of Hurley (chairman); Lesley King-Lewis (chief executive, UK)
Website https://jerusalemfoundation.org/the-jerusalem-foundation-uk/
Remarks Lone Soldier Centre payments reclassified as non-charitable; Serious Incident Report filed with the Charity Commission[1]

The Jerusalem Foundation in the UK (registered charity number: 258306) is the UK branch of the Jerusalem Foundation, which is active across the Green Line in East Jerusalem in violation of international law.

It is administered by Prism the Gift Fund ((Number: 1099682), registered to 20 Gloucester Place,London, W1U 8HA. In 2010 the JF's UK arm reported an income of £1,196,030.[2][3].

Its latest annual return on the register, for the year to 31 December 2024, records income of £3,006,831 and expenditure of £3,650,700.[4] The foundation's website says the UK charity is "Administered by Prism the Gift Fund" at 20 Gloucester Place.[5] Its finances, grants to the Jerusalem Foundation in Israel, and the Lone Soldier Centre payments that were reclassified as non-charitable are set out below.

People

The foundation does not declare its trustees on the Charity commission website. The single corporate trustee is listed as the Jerusalem Foundation Trustees Limited which is a company registered at Companies House.

Current and past directors of the Jerusalem Foundation[6]
Name Role Appointed Resigned
Martin Paisner Director / Secretary (active) 20 March 2007
Shai Doron Director (resigned) 09 June 2020 29 July 2024[7]
Vivien Duffield Director (active) 31 March 2008
Howard Darryl Leigh[7] Director (active) 20 March 2007
Jack Livingstone Director (resigned) 31 March 2008 20 September 2023[7]
Louise Mishon Director (active) 23 January 2018
Guy Anthony Naggar[7] Director (active) 31 March 2008
Gary Rosenfield Director (active) 31 July 2018
Joanne Turner Director (active) 01 November 2017
Yohanna Arbib Director (resigned) 01 July 2015 31 July 2018
Alexander Bernstein Director (resigned) 31 March 2008 12 April 2010
Jane Biran Director (resigned) 31 March 2008 20 September 2010
Anthony Bloom Director (resigned) 31 March 2008 27 February 2012
Ruth Cheshin Director (resigned) 31 March 2008 31 October 2011
Janet De Botton Director (resigned) 31 March 2008 01 November 2017
Harry Djanogly Director (resigned) 31 March 2008 01 January 2010
Joseph Dwek Director (resigned) 20 September 2010 03 February 2011
Peter Halban Director (resigned) 31 March 2008 01 November 2017 (two Companies House appointment records: as Pierre Francis Halban, 31 March 2008 – 18 January 2016, and as Peter Francis Halban, 18 January 2016 – 1 November 2017)[7]
Claus Moser Director (resigned) 31 March 2008 04 September 2015
David Pannick Director (resigned) 31 March 2008 01 April 2013
Naomi Perahia Director (resigned) 20 September 2010 01 November 2017
Jane Rayne Director (resigned) 31 March 2008 13 May 2014
Robert Rayne Director (resigned) 31 March 2008 01 November 2017
Anthony Rosenfelder Director (resigned) 20 September 2010 01 November 2017
Peter Sheldon Director (resigned) 20 September 2010 01 November 2017
Mark Sofer Director (resigned) 12 January 2012 01 November 2014
Diane Steinberg Director (resigned) 31 July 2018 26 August 2021
Andrew Stone Director (resigned) 31 March 2008 20 September 2010
Annabelle Weidenfeld Director (resigned) 20 September 2010 01 November 2017
Arthur Weidenfeld Director (resigned) 31 March 2008 20 September 2010
Henry Woolf Director (resigned) 31 March 2008 01 November 2017
Fred Worms Director (resigned) 31 March 2008 23 September 2009
Michael Ziff Director (resigned) 09 November 2010 01 November 2017

Leadership

Circa 2012

Peter Halban, CBE - Chairman of Board of Directors | Leslie Paisner- Founder (deceased) | Lois Sieff, OBE - Chairman Emeritus | Peter Sheldon OBE - Treasurer | Howard Leigh - Executive (appointed chairman January 2016) | Guy Naggar Executive |

Trustees

Circa 2012

Janet Wolfson de Botton | Dame Vivien Clore Duffield, CBE | Jack Livingstone,OBE | Lord Moser | Martin Paisner CBE | Ninette Perahia | Lady Jane Rayne | The Hon. Robert Rayne | Anthony Rosenfelder | Mark Sofer | Lord Weidenfeld | Lord Woolf | Michael Ziff

Former

Circa 2012

Lord Bernstein - former President of the UK Board | Nurit Gordon - former UK Desk Head in Jerusalem | Michael Phillips - former Excutive | Fred Worms, OBE - former Executive | Anthony Bloom - former Executive | Jane Biran- former trustee | Ruth Cheshin - former trustee | Sir Harry Djanogly, CBE- former trustee | David Pannick, QC - former trustee | Lord Stone of Blackheath - former trustee | Sheila Ford - former Administrator| [8]


Current trustees (Charity Commission register, October 2026)

Current trustees, with other charities on which the same register trustee ID appears:[4]

Trustees of The Jerusalem Foundation (register, October 2026)
Trustee Appointed Chair Other trusteeships
Jerusalem Foundation Trustees Limited not recorded —

Historical trustees (UK Government Web Archive)

Trustees shown in archived register pages
Capture date Trustees listed Source
2021-07-04 Jerusalem Foundation Trustees Limited [9]

UK board listed on the foundation's website (October 2026)

The foundation's UK web page lists:[5]

Finances of the UK charity (258306)

Income and expenditure, five most recent reported years
Financial year end Income Expenditure
2020-12-31 £2,375,559 £2,636,924
2021-12-31 £1,054,320 £1,154,532
2022-12-31 £2,089,201 £1,611,502
2023-12-31 £3,465,734 £4,194,308
2024-12-31 £3,006,831 £3,650,700

Source: register annual-return history.[4]

Archived accounts

Accounts no longer on the live register were found in the UK Government Web Archive:

  • Accounts for the year ended 31/12/2014[10]
  • Accounts for the year ended 31/12/2015[11]
  • Accounts for the year ended 31/12/2016[12]
  • Accounts for the year ended 31/12/2017[13]
  • Accounts for the year ended 31/12/2018[14]

Funding in Israel (UK charity grants)

  • FY to 31 Dec 2024: donations to The Jerusalem Foundation in Israel £3,553,777 (2023: £3,966,173). Trustee's report PDF p.5; grants itemised in note 7, PDF pp.19–20 (largest: Emergency Fund £1,077,294; Wohl Rose Park £832,263; Hassadna £428,665; Jerusalem Botanical Gardens £390,694; George Pinto Fellowship £366,354).[1]

Israeli partners

The Jerusalem Foundation (Israel), plus about 70 named projects (PDF pp.19–20).[1]

UK charity accounts 2017–2021: grants and activity beyond the Green Line

This section uses the UK charity's filed accounts for the years to 31 December 2017–2021.[15][16][17][18][19] The trustee is Jerusalem Foundation Trustees Limited. In 2021 its directors were Dame Vivien Duffield DBE, Lord Leigh of Hurley, Jack Livingstone OBE, Carolyn Mishon, Guy Naggar, Martin Paisner CBE, Michael Rosenfeld, Joanne Turner and Shai Doron.[19] A Michael Rosenfeld also chairs the Rosenfeld Charitable Trust, a donor to the Foundation; these sources do not show that they are the same person. The accounts say that donations "are forwarded on to The Jerusalem Foundation – Amuta in Israel". The registered objects include "the excavation, repairs, preservation and upkeep of such historic sites and antiquities of Jerusalem".[19]

Income and grants remitted to the Jerusalem Foundation (Amuta), years to 31 December (£)
Year Income Grants remitted
2017 2,111,990 1,914,446
2018 1,404,700 1,182,524
2019 4,277,718 2,637,885
2020 2,375,559 2,180,736 (2020 accounts; the 2021 accounts give £2,136,686)
2021 1,054,320 843,752

[15][16][17][18][19]

The largest earmarked remittances were:

  • Jerusalem Puppet Theatre / Davidson Theatre ("Home of the Train Puppet Theatre"): £2,000,000 (2016), £586,425 (2017), £390,000 (2019) and £690,456 (2020).
  • The Max Rayne Hand in Hand School for Bilingual Education: £402,240 (2018) and £707,027 (2019).
  • Jerusalem Botanical Garden: £413,507 (2020).
  • Israel Antiquities Authority: £398,978 (2017).
  • Aleh: £380,901 (2019).
  • Mishkenot Sha'ananim: £354,354 (2021).
  • Naggar School of Photography/Art: £251,565 (2017) and £258,545 (2019).

[15][17][18][19]

Findings are graded by confidence. "Partner" findings concern the recipient organisation, not proven use of UK funds.

Evidence of activity beyond the 1949 armistice line (UK accounts 2017–2021)
Finding Confidence
£7,500 in 2021 to "Homat Shmuel". The Jerusalem municipality says "Har Homa (officially Homat Shmuel)" is a neighbourhood in south-east Jerusalem built from 1997, and Har Homa is on Peace Now's settlement list. The accounts do not say what the grant paid for.[19][20][21] High – grant to a settlement neighbourhood (purpose not stated)
£8,643 in 2021 for "Signs in Jewish Quarter", in the Old City of Jerusalem, which lies east of the 1949 armistice line.[19] High – project in occupied East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem projects in 2019: "East Jerusalem Educational Projects" £19,756 and "Sur Baher Integration of Arab Women" £475 (Sur Baher is a Palestinian neighbourhood of East Jerusalem). The 2020 accounts also list £18,601 in the 2019 column as "East Jerusalem cultural projects (Incubator Theatre, Music Conservatory)"; the 2019 accounts show the same sum as "Drugs/Alcohol prevention".[17][18] High – projects in occupied East Jerusalem serving Palestinian residents
£398,978 in 2017 to the Israel Antiquities Authority (a major gift received for that purpose). The accounts name no excavation site, so a link to the City of David excavations in Silwan is not shown.[15] Unverified – site not stated
No remittance in the 2017–2021 accounts names the City of David, Silwan or Elad.[15][19] Not established (for 2017–2021)

Support for the IDF: No IDF or military funding is listed in the 2017–2021 accounts.[19]

Controversies and regulatory action

  • East Jerusalem and Har Homa. The accounts record grants for East Jerusalem projects and for Har Homa (Homat Shmuel) in 2023; Har Homa is a settlement in occupied East Jerusalem according to Peace Now.[1][21][22]
  • Lone Soldier payments. The accounts state that payments relating to a Lone Soldier Centre were reclassified as non-charitable expenditure (£811 in 2024 and £264 in 2023), a Serious Incident Report was filed with the Charity Commission and repayment was requested; the accounts say the payments are being returned (accounts, PDF p.6).[1]
  • Parliament. Lord Leigh of Hurley told the Lords on 7 May 2024: "I chair a charity called the Jerusalem Foundation. One of the projects we are doing is building a very large sports centre in east Jerusalem." In 2018 he said the foundation "invests substantial funds ... for all citizens of Jerusalem, including east Jerusalem"; in November 2023 and March 2025 he described talking to residents of East Jerusalem in his capacity as chairman.[23]

Other registers and records

Scotland and Northern Ireland

No entry was found on the Scottish Charity Register for this charity.[24] No entry was found on the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland register.[25]

The Gazette

Searches of The Gazette notice feeds (all notices, insolvency and company) for the charity's name found no insolvency, winding-up or strike-off notice; results were limited to Companies House filing lists.[26]

Grants recorded by 360Giving

No grants received or made by this charity are recorded in 360Giving data.[27]

Sanctions screening

The names of current and archived trustees and Companies House officers were screened against the UK Sanctions List and the OFSI Consolidated List. No match on full name was found; only coincidental surname matches. Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor (UK sanctions ID RUS1127) does not appear among this charity's trustees or officers.[28]

Land and property

The register records that the charity does not own or lease land or property.[4] Title numbers were not obtained: the HM Land Registry search service blocked automated access and no title registers were purchased.[29] Candidate addresses for a title search:

  • 20 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8HA – contact address (2021) (source: UKGWA 2021)

US counterparts (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer)

Organisation EIN Latest filing year Revenue (US$) Expenses (US$)
Jerusalem Foundation Inc[30] 132563745 2023 11,151,809 13,706,730

These US organisations share the name or beneficiary of the UK charity; no financial flows between them and the UK charity were established.

Parliament

Selected Hansard references
Date House Member Debate
2018-06-07 Lords Lord Leigh of Hurley Palestinian Territories[23]
2023-11-15 Lords Lord Leigh of Hurley King’s Speech[23]
2024-05-07 Lords Lord Leigh of Hurley Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill[23]
2025-03-14 Lords Lord Leigh of Hurley Palestine Statehood (Recognition) Bill [HL][23]
2025-06-16 Lords Lord Leigh of Hurley Israel: Arab Israeli and Jewish Israeli Communities[23]

A search of Hansard for 'Jerusalem Foundation' returned 16 contributions in total; most are general references rather than discussion of the UK charity. Written questions could not be searched (the API timed out).[23]

Support for the Israeli military

Grants. The accounts state that payments relating to a Lone Soldier Centre (support for lone soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces) were reclassified as non-charitable expenditure. Payments "earmarked for the Lone Soldier Centre prior to October 2023, were sent after October 2023" and were "not valid as a charitable purpose"; they "amounted to £811 in the year ended 31 December 2024 and £264 in the year ended 31 December 2023", and "No financial loss is anticipated as the payments are being returned" (accounts for 2024, PDF p.6 and note 9).[1]

Prior scrutiny. The trustees filed a Serious Incident Report with the Charity Commission about these payments and requested repayment (accounts, PDF p.6).[1] No Commission inquiry or warning concerning them was found.

Web archive

The UK Government Web Archive holds 2 archived Charity Commission register pages used in this profile (cited in the sections above). The 2021 archived full print showed the status "Charity reporting is up to date (on time)" and "Other regulators: No information available".[9]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Charity Commission, The Jerusalem Foundation (258306): accounts and annual returns Register of Charities; latest accounts downloaded 14 October 2026 ("PDF p." = page of the PDF file).
  2. ↑ The Jerusalem Foundation, Charity Commission, accessed 10 Sept 2012
  3. ↑ Prism the Gift Fund,Charity Commission, accessed 10 Sept 2012
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Charity Commission for England and Wales, Register of Charities public extract (tables charity, charity_trustee, charity_annual_return_history, charity_area_of_operation, charity_classification), extract dated 14 October 2026.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Jerusalem Foundation, The Jerusalem Foundation – UK jerusalemfoundation.org, viewed 21 October 2026 (Jerusalem Foundation-side).
  6. ↑ Jerusalem Foudnation Trustees Limited - People, Companies House. Accessed 4 July 2022.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Jerusalem Foundation Trustees Limited – officers Companies House, viewed 21 October 2026.
  8. ↑ UK Board of Directors, accessed 10 Sept 2012
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Register entry 258306, full print (capture of 20210704) UK Government Web Archive.
  10. ↑ The Jerusalem Foundation accounts, year ended 2014-12-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200105).
  11. ↑ The Jerusalem Foundation accounts, year ended 2015-12-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200105).
  12. ↑ The Jerusalem Foundation accounts, year ended 2016-12-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200105).
  13. ↑ The Jerusalem Foundation accounts, year ended 2017-12-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200105).
  14. ↑ The Jerusalem Foundation accounts, year ended 2018-12-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200105).
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Charity Commission, The Jerusalem Foundation (258306): trustee's report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2017, filed with the Commission (register).
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Charity Commission, The Jerusalem Foundation (258306): trustee's report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2018, filed with the Commission (register).
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Charity Commission, The Jerusalem Foundation (258306): trustee's report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2019, filed with the Commission (register).
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Charity Commission, The Jerusalem Foundation (258306): trustee's report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020, filed with the Commission (register).
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 19.7 19.8 Charity Commission, The Jerusalem Foundation (258306): trustee's report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2021, filed with the Commission (register).
  20. ↑ Jerusalem Municipality, About the Neighborhood – Har Homa jerusalem.muni.il, viewed 20 October 2026 (Jerusalem Municipality-side: the Israeli municipality).
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Peace Now, Israeli settlements at the West Bank – the list Peace Now (accessed 2026).
  22. ↑ Jerusalem Municipality, Har Homa – about the neighbourhood Jerusalem Municipality (accessed 2026).
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 23.6 UK Parliament, Hansard search API: spoken contributions matching 'Jerusalem Foundation' Hansard, queried 14 October 2026.
  24. ↑ Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, Search the Scottish Charity Register OSCR, searched 14 October 2026 (keyword searches by charity name).
  25. ↑ Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, Register of charities search results CCNI, searched 14 October 2026 (searches for the charity names and for 'Israel', 'Jewish', 'Magen', 'Weizmann').
  26. ↑ The Gazette: notices matching 'Jerusalem Foundation' The Gazette, searched 14 October 2026.
  27. ↑ 360Giving API: grants received by GB-CHC-258306 360Giving, queried 14 October 2026.
  28. ↑ Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK Sanctions List (CSV, version of 12 October 2026); Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets (ConList.csv, last updated 3 June 2026). Screening of 602 names (current and archived trustees and Companies House officers of the 20 pilot charities) carried out 14 October 2026.
  29. ↑ HM Land Registry, Search for land and property information GOV.UK – the service returned HTTP 403 (bot protection) to automated access on 14 October 2026; no titles were looked up or purchased.
  30. ↑ Jerusalem Foundation Inc – Nonprofit Explorer ProPublica, viewed 14 October 2026.
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