UK Lawyers for Israel sought Israeli help in defamation lawsuits brought by human rights NGOs, leaked document reveals

London (Quds News Network)- A pro-Israel legal group, UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), sought assistance from the Israeli government to defend against legal challenges posed by two NGOs, Middle East Eye (MEE) has revealed. The group approached Israel in 2019 as it faced potential defamation lawsuits from Interpal, a UK-based charity, and Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCI-P), an NGO focused on Palestinian child rights.

According to a leaked Israeli government document, Jonathan Turner, CEO of UKLFI, and Caroline Turner, the group’s secretary, met with Marlene Mazel, a senior official from Israel’s Ministry of Justice. The meeting, which took place on September 2, 2019, sought support in gathering or validating evidence to assist UKLFI if the lawsuits were filed. The document indicated that while Israeli officials did not commit to providing direct support, they hinted at ways of validating information that could be used in legal proceedings abroad.

UKLFI was accused of defamation by Interpal and DCI-P, both of which said that the legal group’s actions had caused severe harm to their operations. Interpal, which provided humanitarian aid to Palestinians, lost its banking facilities in 2021 due to UKLFI’s advocacy, effectively ending its fundraising activities. DCI-P, which was targeted by UKLFI with accusations of ties to the Palestinian resistance, reached a legal settlement with the group in 2020.

MEE reported that the meeting was held amid these disputes, with UKLFI highlighting the financial risk it faced if it lost the legal battles. The leaked document revealed that UKLFI’s insurance would cover £1 million, but any additional legal costs would have to be paid from the personal accounts of the Turners, putting them in a challenging financial situation.

UKLFI’s legal director, Natasha Hausdorff, described the organization as defending Israel against “lawfare” – the use of legal systems to target Israeli institutions and individuals. This was underscored by UKLFI’s recent threat to sue the British government over its suspension of 30 arms export licenses to Israel, a decision it called politically motivated.

The document revealing UKLFI’s meeting with the Israeli justice ministry also sheds light on the close cooperation between the group and Israeli government agencies. UKLFI has been involved in efforts to counter Palestinian activism and NGOs, often claiming that these groups are tied to ‘terrorism’. DCI-P, along with five other Palestinian NGOs, was designated as a terrorist organization by Israel’s defense ministry in 2021, a move that was widely criticized by human rights groups.

Despite the controversies, UKLFI denies being directly linked to the Israeli government. Jonathan Turner told MEE that UKLFI is an independent organization, though records show the group has collaborated with Israeli ministries in the past, including co-hosting a seminar with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2012.

Interpal, once the largest British charity assisting Palestinians, was particularly affected by UKLFI’s campaigns. In February 2020, UKLFI published a statement by Interpal’s trustees addressing defamatory claims made by the legal group. Despite this, UKLFI’s efforts led to financial institutions, including HSBC, cutting ties with the charity, severely impacting its ability to raise funds.

UKLFI has taken credit for Interpal’s loss of banking services, with an unnamed Israeli intelligence officer praising the group’s efforts, according to a comment published on UKLFI’s website in March 2022.

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