UK Friends of the City of David

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London charitable company formed to fund the City of David site in Silwan, East Jerusalem, run by the settler organisation Elad; its board includes an Elad vice-president

UK Friends of the City of David

Logo Silwan hillside below City of David 2009.jpg
Silwan, East Jerusalem, below the City of David site (2009)
Type Charitable company
Founded 2007-06-21 (incorporated); 2007-11-26 (registered)
Registration ID Registered charity 1121683; company 06288834
Headquarters London W1W
Area served "In and surrounding ancient Jerusalem"


UK Friends of the City of David is a charitable company incorporated on 21 June 2007 and registered with the Charity Commission on 26 November 2007, whose objects are the preservation and improvement of "the physical and natural environment in and surrounding ancient Jerusalem" and urban regeneration "in particular in ancient Jerusalem".[1][2] Its register contact address is Harris & Trotter LLP, 101 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6XH, and its register email and website are those of the City of David (cityofdavid.org.il).[1] Its trustees' reports say "The objectives of the Charity are the preservation and development of the Biblical City of David and its environs".[3] The City of David site in Silwan, East Jerusalem, is operated by the Elad (Ir David) Foundation;[4] one current trustee, Doron Spielman, was described by The Times of Israel in 2014 as "Vice President of Elad".[5] Its accounts record grants of £177,461 in total between 2009–10 and 2021–22, including £149,000 paid "in grants to Israel" in 2019–20, but name no recipient; its income peaked at £50,008 in 2016–17 and has been almost nil since 2021.[6][7][8][9][10][1]

Objects and activities

The charity's registered objects read, in part: "TO PROMOTE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC THE PRESERVATION, PROTECTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE PHYSICAL AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT IN AND SURROUNDING ANCIENT JERUSALEM, IN PARTICULAR BY THE PROVISION OF FUNDS AND DONATIONS AS THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SHALL THINK FIT", together with education in the same and "THE PROMOTION FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC OF URBAN OR RURAL REGENERATION IN AREAS OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION (AND IN PARTICULAR IN ANCIENT JERUSALEM)", including "THE PRESERVATION OF BUILDINGS OR SITES OF HISTORIC OR ARCHITECTURAL IMPORTANCE".[1] The area of benefit is "IN AND SURROUNDING ANCIENT JERUSALEM".[1]

Register classifications: Education/training; Environment/conservation/heritage; The General Public/mankind; Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space; Other Charitable Activities. The only area of operation recorded is "Throughout England And Wales".[1]

The trustees' reports say the charity "relies on donations from various supporters, including institutions" and that "The directors donate the charity's funds to organisations whose work is consistent with the company's principal objectives" (partisan: the charity's own statement).[3][9][11] The 2017–18 report says: "We visited the UK in the Fall of 2016 and met with various donors regarding two City of David projects, one educational and the other tourism related". The educational project, "Upon Our Walls", takes Israeli 10th-graders on "a four day archaeological and historical journey in Jerusalem" including "digging and sifting in the ongoing archaeological excavation of the Hasmonean Wall"; the tourism project, "Enchanted Jerusalem", projects video onto "the actual Palace of King David" as "a new nighttime experience we are creating in partnership with the Jerusalem Municipality" that will help to propel "the City of David to the forefront of the cultural, educational and tourism attractions in Israel". "We hope to raise funds going forward which will be used to contribute to these projects."[11] The 2016–17 report contains the same passage, dated "the Fall of 2015"; the 2014–15 and 2015–16 reports carry the project descriptions too.[10][12][13]

Trustees

Current trustees on the register:[1]

Trustees of UK Friends of the City of David (register bulk extract, October 2026)
Trustee Appointed Other trusteeships Companies House
Daniel Lewis Peters not recorded — Director since 5 November 2007
Doron Spielman 2021-07-19 — Director appointment terminated 24 July 2025
Uri Ullmann 2022-01-13 — Director (Uri Yehuda Ullmann) since 13 January 2022
Harold Bergson 2022-03-24 — Director (Harold Maxwell Bergson) since 24 March 2022

Companies House also lists Yehuda Maly as company secretary since 21 June 2007.[2] The accounts for the year to 30 June 2025 list "D Spielman (Resigned 24 July 2025)", but the register extract still lists him as a trustee.[3][1]

Historical trustees

The accounts for the period to 30 June 2008 name the directors as D Beeri (appointed 21 June 2007) and D L Peters (appointed 5 November 2007), with Y Maly as secretary; the 2009–2012 accounts name D L Peters as director and Y Maly as secretary, and the 2015–2018 accounts again list D Beeri and D L Peters.[14][15][7][12][13][11] The 2021 and 2022 accounts record that D Beeri and Y Maly resigned as directors on 19 July 2021, when D Spielman and J Orenstein were appointed; U Ullmann was appointed on 13 January 2022 and H Bergson on 24 March 2022.[16][9] J Orenstein does not appear in the October 2026 register extract.[1]

Finances

Income and expenditure, five most recent reported years
Financial year end Income Expenditure
2021-06-30 £1 £1,060
2022-06-30 £0 £23,194
2023-06-30 £0 £2,783
2024-06-30 £0 £2,828
2025-06-30 £200 £1,885

Source: register annual-return history (bulk extract).[1]

Figures from the filed accounts (years to 30 June)
Year Income Grants Reserves at year end Source
2007–08 (period from incorporation) £108 – £11 [14]
2008–09 £8,077 – £7,670 [15]
2009–10 £6,075 £1,973 £10,256 [6]
2010–11 £50 – £8,598 [17]
2011–12 £20,000 £25,000 £1,842 [7]
2012–13 not filed (abbreviated balance sheet) not stated £102 [18]
2013–14 £7,869 donations (shown as comparative in 2015) not stated £7,781 [19][12]
2014–15 nil – £7,741 [12]
2015–16 nil – £10,700 [13]
2016–17 £50,008 – (expenditure £1,235) £59,473 [10]
2017–18 £47,878 – (expenditure £36) £107,316 [11]
2018–19 £40,743 – £148,008 [20]
2019–20 £38,535 £149,000 "in grants to Israel" £36,556 [8]
2020–21 £1 – £35,497 [16]
2021–22 nil £1,488 "in grants to Israel and UK" £12,303 [9]

None of the accounts names a grant recipient: the grants notes give only totals (the 2019–20 note reads "Grants paid 149,000").[8] The 2014–15 to 2018–19 trustees' reports carry the "Upon Our Walls" and "Enchanted Jerusalem" passage quoted above.[12][20]

Archived accounts

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

  • Accounts for the year ended 30/06/2017[10]
  • Accounts for the year ended 30/06/2018[11]
  • Companies House: accounts for every year from 2008 to 2025 are on the filing history (those cited above were read).[2]

Funding in Israel

The accounts do not name any grant recipient. The 2019–20 accounts say the charity "paid £149,000 (2019: £nil) in grants to Israel"; the 2021–22 accounts give a total for "grants to Israel and UK".[8][9]

Israeli partners

The charity's register contact details are those of the City of David (Foundation@cityofdavid.org.il, www.cityofdavid.org.il), and its 2016–18 trustees' reports describe fundraising for "two City of David projects".[1][11] Israel's State Comptroller reports that the City of David site in the Old City basin has been operated and developed by the Elad association since 2005.[4] The Times of Israel reported from "SILWAN, East Jerusalem" in October 2014 that the City of David Foundation, "better known by its Hebrew acronym Elad", "has been purchasing houses in the Arab neighborhood and inhabiting them with Jewish families" and "manages the archaeological dig in the City of David National Park", and it quoted Doron Spielman as "Vice President of Elad".[5]

Activity beyond the Green Line and support for the IDF

UN OCHA map (March 2009) of Israeli settlement and archaeological excavation sites in Silwan, East Jerusalem, including the City of David Visitors' Center
The Silwan necropolis, East Jerusalem (2009)

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

Evidence of activity beyond the 1949 armistice line
Finding Confidence
The charity's stated purpose is the "preservation and development of the Biblical City of David and its environs", it uses the City of David's email and website as its register contact details, and its 2016–18 trustees' reports describe fundraising in the UK for two City of David projects, one an excavation of the Hasmonean Wall and the other a night-time show at the "Palace of King David".[3][1][11] The City of David site is in Silwan, East Jerusalem, and is operated by Elad, which according to The Times of Israel buys houses in Silwan and inhabits them with Jewish families.[4][5] The accounts record £177,461 of grants (including £149,000 "to Israel" in 2019–20) without naming recipients.[8] Peace Now lists a "Silwan Settlement".[21] High (partner) – partner's site in East Jerusalem; recipients of UK grants not named
A current trustee, Doron Spielman, was quoted in 2014 as Vice President of Elad.[5][1] Medium – trustee link (2014 press report; his current role at Elad was not verified)

Support for the IDF: No IDF or military funding is stated in the accounts read.[3][11]

Controversies and regulatory action

  • The register page was unavailable on 20 October 2026, so whether it shows a regulatory alert could not be checked. The charities in the Commission's settlements class inquiry (opened August 2026) have not been named, so it is not known whether this charity is among them.[22]
  • Silwan. In a 2012 Westminster Hall debate Jeremy Corbyn said: "Homes in Silwan have been destroyed to make way for the city of David."[23] The Times of Israel reported in 2014 that Palestinian residents accused Elad of trying to empty Silwan of Arabs (critical source: residents quoted in the report), and that Elad's Doron Spielman replied that "Jews are absolutely allowed to buy property in that area of Jerusalem" (partisan).[5]
  • Register and Companies House differ. Doron Spielman's directorship ended on 24 July 2025 according to Companies House and the 2025 accounts, but he is still listed as a trustee in the October 2026 register extract.[2][3][1]

Other registers and records

Scotland and Northern Ireland

No entry was found on the Scottish Charity Register (register export dated 14 October 2026, searched for "City of David").[24] No entry was found on the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland register.[25]

The Gazette

Searches of The Gazette notice feed for "City of David" found no insolvency, winding-up or strike-off notice naming the charity (the feed matches were unrelated notices that use the phrase).[26]

Grants recorded by 360Giving

No grants received or made by this charity are recorded in 360Giving data (the API returned no organisation record for GB-CHC-1121683).Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive title

Sanctions screening

The charity's name, its current register trustees, the trustees and officers named in the accounts read for this profile and its Companies House officers were screened against the OFSI Consolidated List. No match was found.[27]

Land and property

The register records that the charity does not own or lease land or property.[1] No title registers were looked up or purchased.

Parliament

No Hansard contribution names the charity. A 2012 contribution on Silwan and the City of David is quoted above.[23]

Web archive

The UK Government Web Archive holds the charity's accounts for 2016–17 and 2017–18 (cited above). Companies House records that the registered office moved from 380 Kenton Road, Harrow, to 101 New Cavendish Street, London, on 31 July 2025.[2]

External links

  • City of David (website given on the register; the Israeli operator's site)

Sources needed

  • The names of the recipients of the charity's grants (2009–10, 2011–12, 2019–20 and 2021–22) are not given in any filed accounts.

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Charity Commission for England and Wales, Register of Charities public extract (bulk download; table charity dated 20 October 2026, tables charity_trustee, charity_annual_return_history, charity_area_of_operation, charity_classification, charity_governing_document and charity_other_names dated 14 October 2026), rows for charity 1121683. The bulk extract was used because the online register page for this charity returned "Sorry, there was an issue displaying this content" on 20 October 2026.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Companies House, UK Friends of the City of David (06288834): officers and filing history Companies House, viewed 20 October 2026.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Companies House, UK Friends of the City of David (06288834): Total exemption full accounts made up to 30 June 2025 filed 30 March 2026 (scanned document; text read by OCR, key figures checked on page images).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 State Comptroller of Israel, Annual Report 67A, chapter "ניהול ותפעול של אתרי תיירות באגן העיר העתיקה בירושלים" (Management and operation of tourist sites in the Old City Basin in Jerusalem) State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel, viewed 20 October 2026.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Elhanan Miller, Silwan is changing, to rightist glee and Palestinian chagrin The Times of Israel, 3 October 2014, viewed 20 October 2026.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Companies House, UK Friends of the City of David (06288834): Total exemption full accounts made up to 30 June 2010 filed 5 April 2011 (scanned document; text read by OCR, key figures checked on page images).
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Companies House, UK Friends of the City of David (06288834): Total exemption full accounts made up to 30 June 2012 filed 8 April 2013 (scanned document; text read by OCR, key figures checked on page images).
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Companies House, UK Friends of the City of David (06288834): Total exemption full accounts made up to 30 June 2020 filed 17 May 2021 (scanned document; text read by OCR, key figures checked on page images).
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Companies House, UK Friends of the City of David (06288834): Total exemption full accounts made up to 30 June 2022 filed 30 March 2023 (scanned document; text read by OCR, key figures checked on page images).
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 UK Friends of the City of David accounts, year ended 2017-06-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20190903).
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 UK Friends of the City of David accounts, year ended 2018-06-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200105).
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Companies House, UK Friends of the City of David (06288834): Total exemption full accounts made up to 30 June 2015 filed 3 March 2016 (scanned document; text read by OCR, key figures checked on page images).
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Companies House, UK Friends of the City of David (06288834): Total exemption full accounts made up to 30 June 2016 filed 17 January 2017 (scanned document; text read by OCR, key figures checked on page images).
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Companies House, UK Friends of the City of David (06288834): Total exemption full accounts made up to 30 June 2008 filed 5 May 2009 (scanned document; text read by OCR, key figures checked on page images).
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Companies House, UK Friends of the City of David (06288834): Total exemption full accounts made up to 30 June 2009 filed 7 April 2010 (scanned document; text read by OCR, key figures checked on page images).
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Companies House, UK Friends of the City of David (06288834): Total exemption full accounts made up to 30 June 2021 filed 7 June 2022 (scanned document; text read by OCR, key figures checked on page images).
  17. ↑ Companies House, UK Friends of the City of David (06288834): Total exemption full accounts made up to 30 June 2011 filed 4 April 2012 (scanned document; text read by OCR, key figures checked on page images).
  18. ↑ Companies House, UK Friends of the City of David (06288834): Total exemption small company (abbreviated) accounts made up to 30 June 2013 filed 20 February 2014 (scanned document; text read by OCR, key figures checked on page images).
  19. ↑ Companies House, UK Friends of the City of David (06288834): Total exemption small company (abbreviated) accounts made up to 30 June 2014 filed 27 March 2015 (scanned document; text read by OCR, key figures checked on page images).
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Companies House, UK Friends of the City of David (06288834): Total exemption full accounts made up to 30 June 2019 filed 26 May 2020 (scanned document; text read by OCR, key figures checked on page images).
  21. ↑ Peace Now, Israeli settlements at the West Bank – the list peacenow.org.il, viewed 20 October 2026 (critical source: an Israeli anti-settlement organisation).
  22. ↑ Charity Commission, Charity regulator opens inquiry into charities working in illegal Israeli settlements GOV.UK, 5 August 2026 (a fact-finding statutory class inquiry initially involving 8 charities which "are not being publicly named at this time").
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 UK Parliament, Israel and the Peace Process Westminster Hall debate, Hansard, 27 March 2012; found via the Hansard search API (exact phrase "City of David", 3 spoken contributions, the other two from 1937 and 1949 using the phrase as a name for Jerusalem), queried 20 October 2026.
  24. ↑ Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, Scottish Charity Register download OSCR, CharityExport-14-Oct-2026.csv; name search run 20 October 2026.
  25. ↑ Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, Register of charities search API CCNI, searched 20 October 2026 (zero results).
  26. ↑ The Gazette: notices matching 'City of David' The Gazette, searched 20 October 2026.
  27. ↑ Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets (CSV, last updated 3 June 2026), screened 20 October 2026 for forename-plus-surname matches; no person or organisation matched.
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