18 June 2024
We would like to thank our supporters for their important questions about the announcement that our CEO Melanie Ward is standing as a candidate in the UK General Election.
Charity regulations, election law, and employment law place a number of obligations on us as the Board of Medical Aid for Palestinians. Unfortunately, we know that this has led to some confusion and frustration about the reasons for some of our decisions in relation to our political impartiality.
We therefore want to reassure our supporters that we hear you, and we want to take this opportunity to set out as clearly as possible our position and the factors that we have to consider when making decisions about our charity during an election.
We have called for a ceasefire since the beginning of Israel’s attacks on Gaza and we are currently campaigning for an end to UK arms transfers to Israel, to prevent their use in further atrocities.
We will continue to do so until these demands are met.
Given the importance of our work, we take our legal and regulatory obligations extremely seriously. All charities, no matter their cause, must follow guidance from the Charity Commission, the Electoral Commission, as well as employment law when an election is called.
Just as other charities in a similar position, we place employees on a leave of absence in the event that they run for political office. Since becoming an election candidate, the CEO has had no involvement in operational decision-making at the charity; and as with any candidate who becomes a Member of Parliament, if elected, our current CEO will not be able to continue in the role.
As a registered charity, we are required by the Charity Commission to be politically impartial – this means we must be independent from party politics and must neither support nor oppose a political party or candidate.
For more information, you can find the Charity Commission's guidance here.
We have two interim Co-CEOs who along with an excellent wider Senior Management Team, and MAP’s teams across the occupied Palestinian territory and Lebanon, continue to work exceptionally hard to uphold the rights to health and dignity of the Palestinian people.
Through them, MAP is continuing to deliver in the largest, life-saving humanitarian relief operation in the charity’s 40-year history in Gaza, while also ensuring the communities we serve in the West Bank and Lebanon can access the services and quality healthcare that is their right.
They have been busy investing donations made by our supporters to save lives in Gaza, including establishing medical points, supporting the rehabilitation of hospitals and launching a nutrition programme. You can read more about that work and its impact here.
Our focus and our resources are invested in our mission to uphold the rights to health, dignity, and justice for all Palestinian people.
We recognise and value the heartfelt dedication of our supporters to the cause that MAP serves. We share that commitment and are grateful for the solidarity and support you have shown to our charity and its staff at this most difficult time.
Thank you, as ever, for your support.
The Board of Trustees