The British government has ended its financial support for an anti-Zionist NGO that has promoted an academic boycott of Israel.

War on Want, founded in 1951, which initially focused on fighting poverty around the world, will have funding it received from the British government cut because of its heavily political activities against the State of Israel and for inciting to hatred and violence against Jews.

A spokesman for the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), which administers the country’s foreign aid program, said that funding had been discontinued for War on Want, apart from a one project in Northern Ireland.

War on Want has funded Apartheid Week on various UK university campuses.

At an event organised by the group at London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), a speaker claimed that Zionists shape British public policy. At the same event, another speaker discussed rumors that Israel harvests organs of Palestinians.

In February, the British government also made it illegal for public institutions to boycott Israel.

Gerald Steinberg, director of NGO Monitor, which works to increase transparency of NGOs, declared: "This is an important, albeit belated, step by the British government. Other institutional donors, in particular the European Union, should follow suit and immediately end their funding for this anti-human right organization."