Canadian Jewish National Fund loses final appeal to regain revoked charitable status
JNF Canada was found to have funded infrastructure projects for the Israeli military, which violates Canadian law prohibiting charities from supporting foreign militaries.
The Canadian branch of the Jewish National Fund (JNF) officially lost its "registered charity" status after a Canadian federal court rejected its final legal appeal, the Canadian Lawyer news website reported Sunday.
The ruling, issued on May 30, upheld the government`s decision to revoke JNF-Canada`s "charitable designation," effectively forcing the organization to cease operations after 57 years of activity.
JNF is a nonprofit organization founded in 1901 to support the establishment and development of the `State of Israel.` The JNF originally focused on purchasing land in Palestine, and its early efforts were aimed at facilitating Jewish settlements in the region.
This decision represents a significant legal and political blow for the international organization, which has faced increasing scrutiny over its use of Canadian tax-exempt donations to fund projects linked to Israeli military activities and the displacement of Palestinians.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) initially revoked the organization`s status in August 2024, citing violations tied to its overseas funding practices, the Canadian Lawyer reported. The JNF contested the decision in court, but the May 30 ruling firmly supported the CRA`s findings, confirming the organization`s loss of its legal status due to its violation of Canadian law prohibiting charities from supporting foreign militaries.
Although the organization has marketed its environmental and land development activities as "charitable," rights groups and activists argue that its operations in occupied territories only serve to reinforce illegal Israeli settlements and erase Palestinian identity.
During the 1948 Israeli occupation of Palestine, known as the Nakba, JNF`s land acquisition efforts were seen by critics as part of a broader strategy to displace Palestinian communities, and some view its ongoing activities as reinforcing Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories
Photo: Pro-Palestine protesters wave Palestinian flags during a protest in Toronto, Ontario, 9 October 2023. Source: Cole Burston/AFP.
