Jewish National Fund Facing Loss of Charitable Status in Canada

Latest Developments

Following a years-long auditing process, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) decided to revoke the Jewish National Fund of Canada’s (JNF) charitable status over the organization’s use of donations to support infrastructure projects for the Israeli military. According to CRA guidelines, “increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of Canada’s armed forces is charitable, but supporting the armed forces of another country is not.” However, JNF Canada says those rules came into force only after its charitable mandate was approved in 1967. “It is unjust for CRA to revoke a charity because a charitable object that it accepted almost 60 years ago is now no longer considered to be a valid charitable object,” JNF Canada’s National President Nathan Disenhouse stated on July 25.

JNF Canada plans to appeal the CRA’s decision in court. The organization released a statement on July 25 claiming that “the CRA review process was flawed and fundamentally unfair,” and that “throughout this multi-year process JNF Canada has demonstrated its willingness to work with the CRA,” including by adjusting “its operations in the spirit of collaboration.” JNF Canada’s senior leadership further noted that the CRA “bypassed its usual compliance measures such as education letters, compliance agreements and sanctions before revoking JNF’s status, even refusing to discuss a new objective or compliance agreement,” the Jerusalem Post reported.

Expert Analysis

“By removing the charitable status of the JNF, long a target for hardcore anti-Israel activists, the Canadian government aligns itself with those seeking to eliminate the state of Israel. Official explanations will do little to dispel the perception that this was a pro-Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign and pro-Hamas move.”  — David May, FDD Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst

“Back in May, Canada’s envoy for combating antisemitism stated that anti-Jewish incidents had hit at an ‘unprecedented, all-time high.’ Since the Hamas atrocities of October 7, Canada’s Jewish community has faced vandalism, assaults, protests outside synagogues and other communal buildings, and even gunshots fired at Jewish schools in Toronto and Montreal. All this demonstrates unambiguously that anti-Zionism breeds and feeds antisemitism – a trend that, shamefully, a government agency is now enabling.” — Ben Cohen, FDD Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Manager

Ottawa Pressures Israel Over War in Gaza

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Canadian government has continued to heap pressure on Israel as it prosecutes its war against Hamas in Gaza. In November, Trudeau implicitly accused Israel of targeting civilians in Gaza and called on the Jewish state to “exercise maximum restraint.” In May, Trudeau said that Israel must comply with International Court of Justice (ICJ) orders and halt its operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. “The ICJ’s proposals are binding and we expect everyone to follow them as a matter of law,” Trudeau stated. Notably, four of the 15 ICJ judges interpreted the ruling as allowing Israel to operate in Rafah.

Additionally, Canada’s House of Commons — the lower house of the Canadian parliament — passed a non-binding motion in March calling for a two-state solution and the suspension of all arms exports to Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz criticized the motion on X, arguing that Ottawa’s move “undermines Israel’s right to self-defense against Hamas terrorists.”

Related Analysis

“Trudeau must avow Canadian support for Israel in Gaza,” by Tzvi Kahn

“Canada’s House of Commons Presses Trudeau to Designate IRGC,” FDD Flash Brief

“Canada Bans Arms Exports to Israel,” FDD Flash Brief