November 1, 2024
International Court of Justice and UN calls the CRA to revoke Israel charities
On the eve of a multi city tour of Canada of the UN Special Rapporteur Francesa Albanese on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 the former Canadian Special Rapporteur called on the Canada Revenue Agency to revoke the charitable status of organizations assisting Israel’s illegal occupation. Michael Lynk’s call follows on the heels of the International Court of Justice advising UN member states to do the same.
“The Canada Revenue Agency should revoke the charitable status of organizations assisting Israel’s illegal occupation”, noted former UN Special Rapporteur Michael Lynk. “The International Court of Justice recently advised UN member states to stop assisting Israel’s illegal occupation and at a bare minimum they must stop subsidizing organisations financing Israel’s flagrant violation of international law.” Israeli settlements have been found by the United Nations Security Council to be a “flagrant violation under international law”
Over 200 Canadian charities send more than $350 million in taxpayer subsidized donations to Israel annually. Many of those organizations assist Israel’s occupation, including Mizrachi Canada, Jewish Heritage Foundation of Canada, United Israel Appeal (UIA), Canada Charity Partners, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Emunah Canada, Jerusalem Foundation, Ronnen Harary Charitable Foundation, and Canadian Friends of Har Etzion.
On October 18 the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel released its “Legal analysis and recommendations on implementation of the International Court of Justice, Advisory Opinion, Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.”
The International Commission of Inquiry’s Position Paper states:
“With respect to non-profit or non-governmental organizations, States must carefully review any organization that is financially or politically supporting the unlawful occupation. States shall not give support to these organizations, for example through allowing the organization to have tax-exempt status or providing tax deductibility for donations to the organization and must ensure that financial contributions to support the unlawful occupation, including settlements and settlers, cease.”
In response to the recommendations released by the UN’s Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute and Just Peace Advocates instigated a letter writing campaign to call on Ottawa to stop subsidizing charities that are “financially or politically supporting the unlawful occupation.” In recent days over 4000 have emailed revenue minister Marie Claude Bibeau and the Canada Revenue Agency to demand they follow international law concerning Israel focused charities.
Contact:
info@justpeaceadvocates.ca
info@foreignpolicy.ca
