CRA revokes charitable status of Jewish National Fund Canada

Roberto Wakerell-Cruz
  |   July 26, 2024   |   Be the first to comment

The Canada Revenue Agency has notified Jewish National Fund Canada that it will revoke the organization’s charitable status after it was determined that the JNF’s original 1967 charitable objective is unacceptable.

JNF Canada president Nathan Disenhouse and CEO Lance Davis said in a statement that they would launch a legal challenge against the CRA with the Federal Court of Appeal. 

"Throughout this multi-year process JNF Canada has demonstrated its willingness to work with the CRA," the statement begins. "When the CRA raised concerns, JNF Canada made changes to its operations in the spirit of collaboration even though it does not agree with CRA’s positions and those positions have not been tested in court."

The statement goes on to state that it will be bringing the CRA to court over the matter.

"JNF Canada also sought alternatives to the revocation prior to launching its legal challenge," the statement continues. "JNF Canada remains deeply concerned with the CRA’s decision to revoke its charitable status and its failure to provide a fair due process, thereby undermining a basic fundamental right for all Canadians."

The JNF writes that it functions similarly to other charities that support the needs of children and vulnerable communities and that it would "expect CRA to work with, not against," the charity.

"Our position is that it is unjust for CRA to revoke a charity because a charitable object that it accepted almost 60 years ago is now no longer considered to be a valid charitable object. It is simply unjust to close a charity supported by over 100,000 Canadians based on reversing a decision the CRA made in 1967," wrote Disenhouse.

"Today’s legal appeal," he continued, "will allow JNF Canada’s concerns to be considered before an impartial legal process."

The JNF suggested that there were likely anti-Zionist or anti-Semitic motives within the CRA that could have influenced the decision. 

"As a Zionist-inspired organization, JNF Canada has many vociferous antisemitic detractors who we believe have influenced the decision-making process in this matter," said Disenhouse and Davis, according to the Jerusalem Post. "We believe that arguably there is a reasonable apprehension of bias on the part of the CRA. This evidence of bias comes from the CRA’s own records, which show that the public pressure on the CRA and the Minister of National Revenue to revoke JNF’s status was an important consideration within the chain of authority at the Charities Directorate. A review of the record would leave a reasonable person with the impression that this pressure resulted in a biased decision."

JNF writes that as the matter is before the court, they will continue to organize events, fundraising campaigns, and delegations to Israel.

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