Canada has recently revoked the charitable status of two Jewish nonprofits that direct donations to Israel, including the Jewish National Fund.
The decision to revoke the status of JNF and the Ne’eman Foundation was announced by the country’s tax authority in notices posted in the Canada Gazette, the government’s official newspaper.
While the Canada Revenue Agency did not publicly cite a reason for the revocations, JNF disclosed two weeks ago that it was facing revocation due to its mission being inconsistent with Canadian laws governing charitable activity. The CRA document explaining the revocation has not been released by JNF.
A lawsuit filed by JNF against Canada’s minister of national revenue is expected to reveal more details, including the internal CRA files obtained through a public records request. The lawsuit claims that the revocation decision was “flawed and fundamentally unfair.”
JNF, in a statement on its website, blamed the CRA for succumbing to public pressure from activist groups targeting JNF and referred to these campaigns as antisemitic.
The Ne’eman Foundation, which also funds philanthropic projects in Israel, did not announce that it was facing revocation and has not responded to requests for comment. However, its Canadian website is still accepting donations.
Revoking a nonprofit’s charitable status in Canada is rare unless for technicalities, such as failing to file paperwork. This is not the first time a Canadian Jewish charity working in Israel has lost its status, as a major nonprofit called Beth Oloth had its status revoked in 2019 for supporting the Israeli military.
The recent revocations are seen as a victory for pro-Palestinian groups in Canada, including Independent Jewish Voices Canada, who complained to the CRA about tax-deductible donations supporting infrastructure projects on Israeli military bases, which is prohibited by Canadian law.
While many American charities also support the Israeli military, it is unlikely that the IRS or other government agencies will crack down on such activity. JNF claims to have ceased building projects for soldiers on Israeli military bases in 2016 when the CRA notified them that such activity was inconsistent with their charitable status.
Independent Jewish Voices Canada, which has filed complaints against JNF, praised the revocation as a long-overdue decision.