Pro-Palestine charity accused of promoting T-shirt supporting antisemitic violence likening Israel to 'holocaust paedophile state'

Thank you for subscribing!

Among the items sold is a £35 T-shirt levelling accusations of genocide, apartheid, organ theft and sex trafficking against Israel

A Pro-Palestine charity has been accused of promoting T-shirts that appear to support antisemitic violence, likening Israel to a "holocaust paedophile state".

Sun of Freedom is also accused of selling accessories seemingly glorifying terrorism and inciting hostility towards Jewish people.

The Manchester-registered Palestinian aid charity, originally established to alleviate poverty and assist vulnerable communities in the West Bank and Gaza, features a link on its website to merchandise that critics say carries pro-terror slogans and imagery.

The apparel in question was designed by Mo Hamzeh, a trustee and vice-president of the organisation, under the Mo Hamz Collection brand.

Mr Hamzeh, a Palestinian-American based in New Jersey whose family was displaced during the founding of Israel in 1948, has committed all profits from the collection to the charity.

The range is sold through an online retailer called Warrior Ink.

Among the items sold in support of Sun of Freedom is a £35 T-shirt, described as a best-seller, levelling accusations of genocide, apartheid, organ theft and sex trafficking against Israel, while claiming Western governments "bend the knee" to the Jewish state.

A second design, bearing the phrase "No Peace Until Freedom," features a V-for-victory hand sign incorporating an inverted red triangle, a controversial symbol linked to Hamas since its military wing began using it to identify Israeli targets in propaganda footage.

Warrior Ink's broader catalogue includes further contentious items.

These include a T-shirt depicting a firearm alongside the red triangle and the words "With Every Round Freedom Lives," a cap reading "Make Israel Palestine Again," and a design showing Anne Frank in a Palestinian keffiyeh.

Sun of Freedom has stressed that these particular items fall outside the Mo Hamz Collection and are unconnected to its fundraising arrangement.

Antisemitism campaigners have demanded the Charity Commission intervene.

Heidi Bachram, whose relatives were killed and seized as hostages during the October 7 attacks by Hamas, told the Telegraph: "Our family have suffered terribly from Palestinian terrorism and to see a charity profiting from such violent messaging is chilling."

She added: "The ideology that stole the lives of our loved ones is running rampant in the UK. This hateful rhetoric amounts to incitement to further violence. The Charity Commission must act immediately to shut this down."

Alex Hearn, of Labour Against Antisemitism, added: "A charity should not raise funds by promoting terrorism.

"They call for Jewish identity to be erased and replaced with a Palestinian identity. If the Charity Commission had any teeth, then it would remove this charity from the register for profiting from inciting hate, extremism and violence."

Sun of Freedom has firmly rejected the accusations, stating that it "unequivocally reject[s] antisemitism and the targeting of Jewish people, as well as terrorism and violence against civilians."

The charity said it remains committed to fulfilling its legal and regulatory obligations.

Mr Hamzeh has strongly disputed claims that the inverted red triangle in his designs represents Hamas, arguing instead that it appears on the Palestinian flag and symbolises the Palestinian people's legitimate pursuit of statehood.

The Charity Commission confirmed it is "assessing concerns raised with us about Sun of Freedom to determine if there is a regulatory role for the Commission."

Sussex Police, meanwhile, declined to act after receiving a complaint from an East Sussex resident, telling the Telegraph that the social media posts advertising the product appeared to involve the legal sale of items.