Today a public letter was released challenging Canada’s most significant contribution to Palestinian dispossession. “Stop Subsidizing Genocide” is signed by Gabor Mate, Yann Martel, Linda McQuaig, Roger Waters, Monia Mazigh, Desmond Cole, Libby Davies, Alex Neve Richard Falk, Michael Lynk, Sarah Jama and others.
Stop Subsidizing Genocide
June 3, 2024
Dear Minister of National Revenue Marie-Claude Bibeau and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
Days after the World Court ordered Israel to “immediately halt” its military offensive in Rafah that country’s military attacked the besieged city killing dozens of women and children at a displaced persons camp. The atrocity is the latest in a campaign that’s left 40,000 Palestinians dead, 80,000 injured and two million displaced. Over the past eight months Israel has also destroyed nearly half of all buildings, water sources and agricultural land in Gaza.
At the same time the Netanyahu government has intensified its settlement construction and violence in the occupied West Bank. During the past eight months Israel has detained nearly 9000 Palestinians.
“Taxpayer-subsidized charitable donations may well be Canada’s most important contribution to Palestinian dispossession”, begins a recent parliamentary petition drawing attention to an underappreciated phenomenon. 200+ registered Canadian charities funnel a quarter billion dollars a year to projects in Israel. Many of these groups finance projects that support the Israeli military, racist organizations and West Bank settlements in contravention of Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) rules.
As detailed in a letter NDP revenue critic Niki Ashton recently sent to national revenue minister Bibeau, subsidized Canadian funds have gone to extremist settler organization Regavim, which was co-founded by far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Additionally, Canadians have funded a group that’s been involved in blocking aid trucks to Gaza and one that promotes soldiers planting Israeli flags in Gaza and a campaign stating: “Victory for Israel! Demolish. Enter. Remain in Gaza!”
Over the past 17 years the HESEG Foundation alone has raised nearly $200 million to assist non-Israelis who join that country’s military even though CRA rules state clearly that “supporting the armed forces of another country is not” charitable activity. Another registered charity, Canadian Zionist Cultural Association, has raised $50 million since 1992 despite an Israel Defense Forces website listing it as an international organization “authorized to raise donations for the IDF”. In the past year formal complaints have been submitted to the CRA detailing how a dozen different Israel focused charities’ — with over $100 million in annual revenue — violate CRA rules. Several Canadian charities have provided funding to the Duvdevan Foundation, an Israeli charity that claims to offer support to current members of the Duvdevan Unit of the Israeli Defence Forces which, among other operations, engages in extrajudicial assassinations of Palestinians.
Amidst the slaughter and starvation in Gaza, the role charitable organizations play in Palestinian dispossession is increasingly being questioned. 10,000 Canadians recently signed a parliamentary petition to “investigate all Canadian charities providing funds to illegal Israeli settlement activity and/or the Israeli military.” At the same time prominent US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez just endorsed, “Not on our dime!: Ending New York funding of Israeli settler violence Act”, which would revoke the tax-exempt status of groups assisting illegal settlements and Israel’s armed forces.
In posting her letter to minister Bibeau demanding an investigation of “charities funding Israeli military operations in Gaza and illegal Israeli settlements” Niki Ashton concluded, “not one cent of Canadian tax-dollars should be funding genocide.”
Agreed. The Canada Revenue Agency must enforce its rules on registered charities assisting foreign militaries, racist organizations and West Bank settlements.
Sincerely,
Alawi Mihideen , Lawyer
Alessandra Mannella, Chef
Alex Neve, Adjunct professor, International Human Rights Law
Ali Mallah, Community
Alice Chipot, Human Rights Defender
Amanda Aziz, Lawyer
Amir Khadir, Former Quebec MLA
Amna Shakil, Lawyer
Angela Steritt, Investigative journalist, author
Anna Misheal, Director of Operations
Arman Chak, Lawyer
Asaf Rashid, Lawyer
Ayman Oweida, Professor
Brenda Curtis, Citizen
Bruce Katz, Co-President, Palestinian and Jewish Unity
Burhana Bello-Ayorinde, Lawyer
Byron Rempel-Burkholder, Editor and writer
Charlotte Kates, International coordinator, Samidoun
Cheryl Gaster, Human Rights Lawyer (Retired)
Chris Hedges, Journalist, author, ordained minister
Coleen R Littlejohn, International Development Economist
Coline Bellefleur, Lawyer
Corey Balsam, National Coordinator, Independent Jewish Voices
Daniel Nashid, Lawyer
David Thompson, Professor of Philosophy (ret)
Denis Kosseim, College professor
Desmond Cole, Journalist, author
Dimitri Lascaris, Lawyer and Journalist
Dr. Ben Thomson, Physician
Dr. Gabor Maté, Physician & author
Dr. Yassar Khan, Ophthalmic surgeon,
El Jones, Academic, poet
Ellen Gabriel, Activist
Eva Manly, Video maker
Faisal Bhabha, Law professor
Faisal Kutty, Human Rights Lawyer and Law Professor
Harsha Walia, Author
Hina Latif, Lawyer
Hussein Hamdani, Lawyer
Idrisa Pandit, Academic
Imraan Mir, Principal, Kashmir Law and Justice Project
Ingeborg Marshall, Author
Irna Cecric, Assistant Law Professor
Jim Manly, Former MP
John Liss, Lawyer
Jonathan Kuttab, Attorney
Jouman El-Asmar, Barrister & Solicitor
Karen Rodman, Just Peace Advocates
Khaled Mouammer, Former national president of the Canadian Arab
Laila Sahyoun, Professional
Libby Davies, Former MP
Linda M Ervin, United Church Minister
Linda McQuaig, Journalist
Louise Casselman, Labour Rights activist
Majed Khraishi. Professor of Medicine
Malek Abisaab , Professor
Martin Jansen, Activist
Mary Shortall, Activist
Megan MacLeanm Student
Mercia Andrews, Researcher
Michael Lynk, Former UN rapporteur
Miles Howe, Academic
Mohamed Boudjenane , Community Activist
Mona Ayesh, Activist
Monia Mazigh, Author
Muhammad Bin Zubair, Lawyer
Najma Mohamed, Educator
Neve Gordon, Professor of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
Paul Salvatori, Journalist
Rabiat Akande, Assistant Law Professor
Rashid Farhat, Lawyer
Richard Falk, Former UN Rapporteur
Rifat Audeh, Award-winning filmmaker
Roger Water, Musician
Roxanna Sabir, Lawyer
Sally Campbell, Mediator/Lawyer (Ret’d.), Activist
Sana Fatima, Human Rights Lawyer
Sanaa Hasan, Lawyer
Sandra L. Beardsall, Professor Emerita
Sarah Jama, Ontario MPP (Independent)
Sarita Samaroo, Lawyer
Shawan Jabarin, General Director, Al-Haq
Theresa M.MacLean, Lawyer
Thierry Beaulière, Lawyer
Umar Khan, Lawyer
Signed after Canadian Dimensions published
Alice Chipot Human rights defender – NGO
Amélie Nguyen Travailleuse en solidarité internationale
André Cloutier Retraité
Bob Buckingham Lawyer, Social Activist
Bruce Katz Co-President, Palestinian and Jewish Unity
Dina Al-Kassim Professor
Dr. Lena El-Malak Independent legal expert
Dr. Nadia Abu-Zahra Professor
Emilio Alvarez Canadian citizen
Jan Simpson National President, Canadian Union of Postal Workers
Jooneed KHAN Journalist, Author, Rights Activist
Lombard-Crémieux PhD scientific researcher
Maïka Desjardins Étudiante
Marc Bonhomme Économiste
Muhannad Ayyash Professor of Sociology, MRU
Nahia Adbo Chancellor’s Professor;
Nyla Matuk Author
Paul Fauteux International lawyer
Randa Mouammar-Nimry Lawyer, Professor
Rehab Nazzal Artist
Samir Saul Professeur
Taha Ghayyur Executive Director, Justice For All Canada
Thouria Bekka Retired teacher
Yousuf Ramahi Doctoral Student
Zainab Ramahi Attorney
