RAF Museum hosts fundraiser for Israeli soldiers’ ‘emotional support’

The Royal Air Force museum in London hosted an event last week supporting the education of Israeli soldiers who have fought in Gaza, Declassified can reveal.

The event, entitled “The future of Israel’s air force”, featured an Israeli pilot, Colonel Yoav Shany, who shared “perspectives from the operational frontlines”.

Shany, who is the military attaché at the Israeli Embassy in London, told the audience that intelligence and military collaboration between the two countries was “better kept at a lower profile”.

“We have a lot of collaboration regarding intelligence; regarding strategical [sic] issues in the wider Middle East areas,” he said.

Held on 17 September, it came a day after a UN commission concluded that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.

The charity organising the event, Technion UK, raises funds in Britain for Israeli technology institute Technion, which works closely with Israeli arms corporations and financially supports reservists in the Israeli military.

On its website, Technion says that money will be used to support the education of students who have served with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Funds pay for “psychological and emotional support services” for soldiers who have recently returned from Gaza, as well as paying for their tuition fees.

The venue was kept secret ahead of the event, with attendees being asked to “not post updates to social media” due to “security reasons”. But Declassified can reveal the host was the RAF Museum in north west London.

Technion UK described it as “an evening not to be missed by anyone with an interest in aerospace, defence, or the future of the security of Israel”.

‘Strong air force’

The event also featured professor Daniella Raveh, dean of the Faculty of Aerospace at Technion.

Based in Haifa, Technion trains engineers who staff Israel’s aerospace and aviation industries and has recently hosted speakers from arms companies Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries.

It also plays a key role in maintaining Israel’s military. The institute’s “mission”, according to its president, professor Uri Sivan, is to help Israel maintain “a strong air force”.

Israel’s air force has been on display in Gaza where it has bombed tens of thousands of targets and is accused of unlawful and indiscriminate attacks on civilians constituting war crimes.

‘Reservist fund’

After Hamas militants struck Israel in October 2023, Technion launched a “Reservist Fund” in Israel which calls on members of the public to support Technion students serving in the IDF.

“Following the tragic events of October 7th, nearly 3,000 Technion students responded to the urgent call from the army and have been serving in the IDF reserves ever since”, Technion notes.

It adds: “Some of them drove tanks in the harshest conditions in Gaza and the North, others operated the Iron Dome and other sophisticated air defense systems, while others assisted in logistics and classified operations”.

Pamphlets distributed at the charity event in the RAF Museum said, in reference to Israeli soldiers: “They supported Israel. Now, let’s support them… We are now raising funds for scholarships for these students.”

One article from earlier this year on the Technion UK website contains an interview with an unnamed Technion student serving in an IDF “special forces commando unit”.

Charity law

British charity law has complex rules surrounding fundraising for causes overseas.

In a case earlier this year, the Charity Commission issued an official warning to a group that raised funds for an individual Israeli soldier. It stated: “It is not lawful, or acceptable, for a charity to raise funds to support a soldier of a foreign military”.

However, it appears to be lawful for British charities to fund educational causes overseas.

Technion’s reservist fund is highlighted on the homepage of the UK charity’s website with an option to donate.

In February 2024, Technion UK held an event in London seeking to fundraise for IDF-drafted students from its parent institute in Israel. The event was forced to relocate after staff at the Apollo Theatre refused to work on it.

Technion UK states that “the objectives of the charity are to promote interest in and to raise funds for the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology”.

It adds that “the majority of funds are forwarded to Technion in Israel immediately on receipt”. In 2023, Technion UK’s income was £1.36m.

‘Low profile’

Colonel Shany was billed by Technion UK for the London event as a “Hercules pilot in the Israel Air Force” (IAF).

The IAF’s Hercules military transport aircraft have been described by former IDF chief Benny Gantz as of “decisive importance”, allowing Israel to execute “more complex missions, under any conditions, deeper [within enemy territory], faster and more clandestinely”.

Shany told the London audience, referring to UK/Israeli collaboration: “We do have a lot of challenges, but we also have a lot of cooperation which sometimes is better kept at a lower profile, I would say. We are working together, we share values, we share interests – and I think it will stay this way.”

Shany added: “I always say to my UK colleagues that even though we don’t agree on each step of the way, we do agree that we walk this path together. And I think it’s very important that we continue to do so.

“The UK is very important to Israel from a security and defence point of view. But also Israel is very important to the UK. We have a lot of collaboration regarding intelligence; regarding strategical issues in the wider Middle East areas.

“Even though we might not agree every day on everything that is happening in Gaza, still I truly believe that the interests on the higher level of security are still there. And we cooperate. This is what I do every morning when I get to the office; I see how I get this relationship running.”

Public body

The RAF Museum is a non-departmental public body which is also a charity under a Royal Charter. It is chaired by former head of the air force, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier.

The museum told us the 17 September event “was an academic event booked as a small private corporate hire, organised independently by Technion UK. Like many cultural venues, the RAF Museum occasionally provides space for organisations to hold private functions outside our public programming.

“While these take place on Museum premises, they are not hosted by the Museum, nor do they form part of our own events calendar or exhibitions”.

It added: “In accepting external hire requests, the Museum undertakes a standard due diligence review. This involves assessing the nature of the organisation, the content proposed, the likely public reaction, compliance with our policies, and reputational risk…. We do not consider that being the venue for an external event constitutes an endorsement of the hirer’s views.

“In this instance, the Museum required that the proposed speaker provide an outline synopsis of their intended remarks (abstract) and submit any promotional materials in draft for review, to ensure they comply with our policies. The pilot’s comments on “operational frontlines” were outside of our control.”

‘Message a hero’

In December 2023, Technion UK launched a campaign for the Jewish community in Britain to write to Israeli soldiers on the front line.

A postcard campaign entitled “Message a Hero” was conducted in all Jewish schools in the UK and the wider Jewish community and resulted in thousands of postcards being sent to Israel as well as Gaza and the West Bank.

Alan Aziz, Technion UK’s chief executive, said he wanted the campaign to provide “a little morale” to Israeli soldiers on the frontline. Actress Maureen Lipman was one of those who wrote to an Israeli soldier.

She messaged: “You represent a shield and an arrow for the Jewish people of the world, and although I don’t share your tank or your trench or your battalion of comrades in arms, I share your pain and feel your qualms and if I could, I would hug you and tell you how inspirational you are.”

Israel lobby

Alan Aziz was for 16 years the executive director of the Zionist Federation (ZF) while Technion UK’s chairman, Paul Charney, was previously chair of the ZF.

A former lieutenant in the Israeli military’s tank corps, Charney also established pro-Israel lobby group ELNET and sits on the board of UK Lawyers for Israel.

Technion says its graduates “are sought out by Israel’s leading defense companies to solve challenges unique to Israel’s defense needs.”

It adds: “Alumni are leading teams that develop missile defense systems, underground tunnel detection devices, and drone technology that allows ground troops to survey potentially dangerous urban areas from a safe distance”.

Yoram Aron, the managing director of Israeli arms company Rafael in the UK, is one former Technion graduate.

Technion UK did not respond to a request for comment.