Israeli universities are assisting a military slaughtering Palestinians and all Canadians are subsidizing them. We must end this huge financial contribution that should run afoul of charity rules. In Israel the alliance between the military and academia has grown significantly in recent months. To enable students to participate in its Gaza genocide Israeli universities paused
  • corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
    72·
    10 months ago

    Well, they call that a false equivalence.

    I’m pretty sure we shouldn’t be facilitating apartheid and wanton killing of civilians en masse and a hundred other things that the state of Israel has done to the people of Palestine.

    I’m also sure that a tax deduction for donating to what appears to be a charity is unfortunately allowed through a dark comedy of bad assumptions and mistakes, just as I’m sure the piece under this sad click bait title tells us nothing new.

    Quick! Now do the Ainu.

    • CaractacusPotts@lemmy.caOP
      43·
      10 months ago

      Well then perhaps you should’ve read the piece. The idea as put forward in the article is that we should close tax loopholes to prevent Canadians from donating to Israeli universities taking part in the repression of Palestinians.

      As for your opinion about the title, perhaps you’ll take the time to write the author and suggest he word things more to your liking in the future.

      The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has effectively granted IOF supporting universities charitable status, notably the ability to offer donors’ tax receipts. The CRA has a special category for international universities. The idea is that people should be able to get a tax deduction when donating to their alma mater or a university that would “ordinarily include Canadian students in its student body.” In other words, Canadian taxpayers can subsidize educational institutions that train Canadians.

      But when it comes to Israeli universities the number of fundraising groups and sums raised is far beyond individuals donating to their alma mater or the number of Canadians studying there. While the universities have been empowered to offer Canadian donors tax credits, they also have fundraising branches in this country. Canadian Friends of Tel-Aviv University, Canadian Friends of the University of Haifa, Canadian Friends of Hebrew University, Canadian Friends of Ben-Gurion University, Canadian Friends of Bar Ilan University, Weizmann Canada and Technion Canada help raise money for Israeli universities. And the sums raised are astounding. Last month Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams gave $135 million ($US 100 million) to Ben-Gurion University at a Canadian Friends of Ben-Gurion University gala. According to the 2021 report Who Gives and Who Gets: The Beneficiaries of Private Foundation Philanthropy, the single top recipient of private Canadian foundations between 2014 and 2018 was Israel’s Technion, which received $89 million.

      In other words, Canadians are subsidizing universities with extensive ties to a genocidal force. Beyond that, the registered Canadian charities often instigate initiatives specifically to strengthen the Israeli military. As I detail here and here, Canadian Friends of Hebrew University and Technion Canada have instigated many IOF focused initiatives. Canadian Friends of the University of Haifa also funds an IDF training initiative. For its part, Canadian Friends of Haifa University is listed as a funder of an initiative that “form the backbone of the IDF’s elite training program”.

      Yet according to CRA rules, registered charities are not allowed to support another country’s military. CRA guidelines state that “increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of Canada’s armed forces is charitable, but supporting the armed forces of another country is not.”