Idit Shamir, Israel's Consul General in Toronto, claims that the Canadian Revenue Agency is conducting a coordinated and well-planned campaign to deny funding to Jewish institutions and undermine their legitimacy and standing in civil society.
She based this statement on remarks made by Liberal Party Member of Parliament Anthony Housefather, who said that a federal judge ruled - after examining the Canada Revenue Agency’s treatment of the Jewish National Fund of Canada - that the agency had abused its processes and acted in bad faith in its handling of the organization.
Over the past year, the Canadian Revenue Agency has revoked the charitable status of several Jewish institutions, thereby harming their ability to issue tax-deductible donation receipts.
MP Housefather noted that a complaint was recently filed with the tax authority against 11 Jewish schools in Montreal and Toronto, which serve as vital pillars of Jewish life in Canada.
In a speech before Parliament, Housefather said that “an attack on Jewish schools or Jewish summer camps is a direct attack on Jewish life in Canada," adding that “the tax authority must make it absolutely clear that tax laws will not be weaponized against any group."