In observance of the International Day of Charity (Sept 5, 2025), activists across Canada rallied at Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) offices across the country in the National Week of Action from September 2-5, 2025. Their demand was clear: stop allowing Canadian charitable donations to subsidize war crimes and genocide in Palestine.
This coordinated effort highlighted the CRA’s failure to enforce its own laws. Despite Canada’s commitment to international law, the agency permits millions of dollars to flow unimpeded to organizations supporting Israeli military operations and illegal settlements.
Where Are the Donations Going?
Recent analysis from Just Peace Advocates, based on 2024 charity filings, identifies several organizations channeling donations to entities deeply involved in the occupation and military actions against Palestinian civilians. These include the Moral Arc Foundation, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews of Canada, HESEG, Israel Magen, Canada Charity Partners, Israeli universities connected to the IDF and Canadian Friends of Sheba Medical Center, which have been implicated in channeling funds to organizations that support illegal Israeli settlements and the Israeli military. Activists argue these funds violate both the Income Tax Act and the War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity Act. Yet, the CRA’s lax oversight has made Canadian taxpayers unwittingly complicit in genocide.
Many other charities, including Mizrachi and United Israel Appeal, have yet to file their 2024 returns, raising further concerns about the full scale of the funding.
CRA Accountability and Responsibility
Critics point to a systemic failure within the CRA. Despite clear violations of the Income Tax Act and the War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity Act, the agency has taken no meaningful action. A key loophole involves the use of “burner” charities—opaque entities designed to avoid scrutiny while moving millions of dollars overseas to support oppressive activities. This lack of enforcement stands in stark contrast to the strict accountability demanded of ordinary Canadian taxpayers.
A Unified National Call for Accountability
Protestors that took part in the actions from St. John’s to Vancouver had a unified message; they demanded the CRA to:
- Launch Immediate Investigations: Audit and revoke the charitable status of any organization funding illegal settlements and military activities.
- Close the Loopholes: Reform reporting mechanisms to ensure full transparency and prevent the use of “burner” charities.
- Uphold the Law: Apply the War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity Act to the charitable sector to protect Canadian dollars from supporting war-crimes.
About CRA National Week of Action:
The CRA National Week of Action is an initiative by a network of a number of organizations to hold the Canada Revenue Agency accountable for its failure to regulate Canadian charities that fund illegal activities abroad. These groups are focused on ensuring that Canadian charities comply with domestic and international law, and that taxpayers’ dollars are not used to support regimes or activities involved in human rights violations.