The Jewish National Fund of Canada (JNF Canada) has initiated legal proceedings in the Federal Court of Appeal to challenge what it calls the "erroneous and unjustified" decision to revoke its status as a tax-exempt charity. The appeal claims that the process leading to JNF Canada's removal from the list of tax-exempt organizations was "flawed and fundamentally unfair."
"Like other charitable organizations that support the needs of children, workers, and vulnerable communities, we expected Canadian authorities not to be against our charity," said Nathan Disenhouse, President of JNF Canada.
"Our position is that it is unjust to revoke the tax exemption of a charity that was granted this status nearly 60 years ago. It is simply unfair to shut down a charity supported by over 100,000 Canadians."
Despite the legal challenge, JNF Canada emphasized its willingness to engage with decision-makers in the hope of reaching a resolution outside of the court process.
"JNF Canada remains committed to fulfilling its mandate to promote charitable projects in Israel for the benefit of all citizens and to continue serving as a pillar of the Jewish community in Canada," the organization stated.
For decades, JNF Canada has been raising financial support in Canada for Israel. Tree planting, building water reservoirs, conserving natural habitats, and creating parks and bike trails are among the initiatives JNF Canada promotes in Israel.
Recently, JNF Canada has expanded its network of Israeli charitable organizations with which it collaborates, now focusing its efforts on social and environmental causes. "We partner with a variety of important institutions and organizations in Israel to build infrastructure for vulnerable populations, such as at-risk youth, victims of domestic abuse, children with special needs, and discharged soldiers," the organization added.