CUSJ is proud to have endorsed the #StopJNF campaign, which seeks to revoke the Jewish National Front (JNF) Canada’s charitable status and expose, challenge and stop the JNF’s discriminatory and harmful activities.
As explained in the campaign website, the JNF is a private corporation whose lands were obtained through exploitative land sales and often-violent, forced removals of Palestinians from their lands. While the JNF has planted millions of trees — a remarkable environmental achievement — it has also used its forests to keep Palestinians off the lands taken from them. In Israel, the JNF has been charged with corruption by the State Comptroller and faced High Court challenges due to its explicitly discriminatory practices.
Canada is complicit
In Canada, the JNF’s fundraising branch, JNF Canada, raises millions of dollars for its projects in Israel/Palestine each year which are tax deductible due to JNF Canada’s charitable status. Hence the #StopJNF campaign. If you would like to get involved, please consider signing the parliamentary petition. You can also write to your MP or donate to International Jewish Voices.
It is most commendable. A group of Canadians trying to put an end to an utmost racist and criminal entity like JNF. It was in the works for some years. One of the big problem always was that it might end up in court, which will be lengthy and expensive.
For decades, JNF collected hundreds of millions of dollars in many countries, to be used to confiscate Palestinian lands, demolish Bedouin villages and in instances plant trees in order to erase the memory of them etc. All with charitable status and approval of Canadian and other governments. Inadvertently it made all of us part of the crimes of JNF.