Canada: Crackdown on Israel-linked charities raises concerns in Jewish community

3-4 minutes 10/17/2024

As Canada continues an unusual scrutiny of Jewish charities, the question cannot be ignored: are these charities being particularly singled out? Mark Blumberg, an attorney specializing in Canadian charity law, states this about the Canada Revenue Agency and the Israel-linked charities:

“I have never seen in my career such swift action from the CRA in dealing with concerns about noncompliance,” Blumberg wrote in a blog post about the suspension, which covers compliance and enforcement issues.

Meanwhile, Jihad Watch reported in 2022:

In a surprising National Post article exposing Islamic supremacist hate in the name of  “diversity,” a headline reads: “The Liberals are funding hate. How else to describe the speakers at this Toronto convention?” Hateful and “obscene” ideas are being brazenly taught at the three-day Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) convention, which is being held on Canada Day weekend. The July 1-3 event is called Thriving in the Path of Allah, and features a troubling lineup of speakers.

And furthermore:

The Muslim Association of Canada launched a Charter of Rights challenge against the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), claiming “systemic Islamophobia.” The MAC insisted that a CRA audit posed “an ‘existential threat’ to the organization because it threatens to revoke its charitable status and raises the possibility of damaging sanctions.” The pressing and most relevant question is that of what evidence the CRA has that precipitated the audit.

The MAC has a disturbing history. It is rooted in the Muslim Brotherhood, as it itself once stated on its website, although the statement has since been removed.

So why are the “Liberals funding hate” while Jewish organizations are under a microscope?

See also articles that cover why Canadian agencies may be afraid to continue investigations of Muslim charities:

“Canadian crackdown on Israel-linked charities raises concerns in Jewish community,” by Asaf Elia-Shalef, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, October 14, 2024:

After Canadian tax authorities revoked the charitable status of the Ne’eman Foundation in August, the organization, which distributes funds to various causes in Israel, began instructing prospective donors to contribute through another recently formed Canadian charity.

Six weeks later, Canadian officials imposed a one-year suspension on that charity, called the Emunim Fund, according to its listing on the Canada Revenue Agency website.

CRA regulators had previously raised concerns about particular Ne’eman Foundation projects in Israel, and a volunteer with Jewish pro-Palestinian group had alleged to the agency that the Ne’eman Foundation was using the Emunim Fund to skirt the revocation.

The agency has not publicly disclosed why it suspended the Emunim Fund, and said in a statement that it is barred by law from commenting on individual cases.

 

 

Statement By Mark Blumberg: If Canada continues it’s unusual scrutiny of Jewish charities, the question remains— are these charities being particularly singled out? Mark Blumberg, an attorney specializing in Canadian charity law, states this about the Canada Revenue Agency and the Israel-linked charities.

Canada: Crackdown on Israel-linked charities raises concerns in Jewish community