The former CEO of Oxfam GB has accused the charity of a “toxic antisemitic culture” over its "disproportionate" focus on Gaza.
Dr Halima Begum, who was unanimously voted out of the organisation in December due to what she claims was a "witch hunt" after her year-and-a-half tenure, said in an interview with Channel 4: "It is important to obviously work around the rule of law and to maintain that the international rule of law must not be compromised - but we have to show consistency with other crisis that are taking place in the world.
"It always felt that we were disproportionately working around the crisis in Gaza."
She went on to say: "[There was] quite strong push back [within the organisation] when we were not ready yet to use the word 'genocide'.
"To use the word 'genocide', it has to be something we arrive at with consultation and evidence of good legal advice and to try and use that term before we are ready as an organisation feels quite risky to me."
An external review, brought about by the board of trustees, found "serious issues in the [Begum's] leadership behaviour and her decision making, including breaches of organisational processes and values, and inappropriate interference into safeguarding and integrity investigations”.
Begum, who is now taking the charity to an employment tribunal, claimed that she was unfairly "forced out", and was only alerted to these criticisms and allegations when she read about them in the press after she had departed.
Oxfam GB told Channel 4: "We abhor antisemitism and vehemently condemn the rise in anti-Semitic sentiments and hate fuelled violence.
“We unequivocally and categorically reject any allegation of antisemitism which runs counter to Oxfam’s core humanitarian principles of impartiality and humanity.
“It is very hard to reconcile what Dr Begum is claiming around anti-Israeli capture within Oxfam. We have reviewed correspondence and there is no evidence that Dr Begum’s concerns were raised with trustees at Board meetings.
“Oxfam’s institutional position on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory has been clear and consistent for decades. Our 2002 policy paper, Foundations for Peace: Urgent Steps to Address the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, remains a cornerstone of that position.
“Oxfam unequivocally for the protection of civilians under international law and states that lasting protection will only come through a just peace for both Palestinians and Israelis. This balanced, rights-based approach has guided our work consistently, and we have not deviated from it.”
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