JNF loses court appeal
Canada’s most iconic Zionist charity said it had days to disband.
The Jewish National Fund of Canada had its bid to overturn the Canada Revenue Agency’s revocation of its charitable status dismissed by the Federal Court of Canada. The decision bolsters the CRA’s authority to revoke other Israel focused charities violating Canada’s Income Tax Act.
In a 16-page decision released November 8 federal court judge Whyte Nowak rejected the JNF’s application for a judicial review and a request for an injunction to force the CRA to overturn its revocation of the JNF’s charitable status. After 57 years as a registered charity the CRA has given the JNF until November 13 to dispose of tens of millions in assets.
“The revocation and effective disbandment of the Jewish National Fund of Canada is a victory against an important arm of a racist colonial movement that’s stolen Palestinian land for over a century”, noted Karen Rodman of Just Peace Advocates.
Over 200 registered charities sent $362 million to Israel in 2022. Dozens of them assist the military, government agencies, racist organizations and illegal West Bank colonies in violation of CRA rules. Detailed complaints have been submitted to the CRA concerning more than a dozen of these organizations.
JNF Canada showed a net worth of $29.7 million in 2018, and $20.8 million in 2022. From 2018 to 2022, JNF Canada provided close to $2 million to the now revoked Ne’eman Foundation of Canada
“The Federal Court’s recent ruling reinforces the CRA’s authority to move against charities assisting an apartheid state committing genocide in Gaza”, concluded Rodman.
For more information:
Canadian Foreign Policy Institute: info@foreignpolicy.ca
Just Peace Advocates: info@justpeaceadvocates.ca
The court decision:
Details from CJNews
CJNews indicated on Nov. 10th that JNF had posted the following on its social media on Nov. 4.
On November 10 the JNF then indicated they had received information that the CRA had notified them earlier that they had a longer time to wind down.
According to CJNews
Despite losing the first court case on Nov. 8, there is still a second appeal in the pipeline—this one was filed with the Federal Court of Appeal on July 24. However, court documents show that existing Federal Court of Appeal hearing won’t likely be scheduled any earlier than May 20, 2025.
The JNF Canada and Israel Magen both included information on their websites that Israel Magen was providing tax receipts for the November 13 JNF Negev Dinner in Ottawa.
