For immediate publication
February 27. 2025
On Thursday, La Presse published an investigation detailing Israeli military involvement with two Montreal Jewish schools. Herzliah and Bialik school has had at least 14 different visits from active or former Israeli soldiers since October 2023. A school gym is also used to teach students Israeli military combat methods.
“All public subsidies should be withdrawn from schools bringing Israeli soldiers to indoctrinate children”, said Bruce Katz from Palestinian and Jewish Unity. “While Israeli forces commit genocide in Gaza, taxpayers should not subsidize efforts to induce young Quebecers to join them. It’s sick.”
According to La Presse, Quebec’s ministry of education gave $8 million to Bialik and Herzliah in 2023-24. The Herzliah High School is part of the Azrieli Schools network in Montreal registered as United Talmud Torahs of Montreal.
In addition to this direct public subsidy, these schools are registered charities, benefiting from the ability to grant tax credits to donors. They also receive significant sums from other registered charities.
There is much evidence that publicly subsidized Quebec schools devote significant resources and energy to promoting the Israeli military and Zionism.
In addition to La Presse’s investigation, there are several schools such as the Hebrew Academy in Montreal and others across the country, such as TanenbaumCHAT and Bnei Akiva Schools that have hosted Israeli soldiers.
Registered charities aggressively promoting a foreign military and inducing kids to join is in violation of Canada Revenue Agency guidelines that prohibit charities from “supporting the armed forces of another country.” The CRA has been asked to investigate at least one of these schools.
More than this, aiding and abetting the joining of a foreign military is illegal under the Foreign Enlistment Act. The Foreign Enlistment Act states, “Any person who, within Canada, recruits or otherwise induces any person or body of persons to enlist or to accept any commission or engagement in the armed forces of any foreign state or other armed forces operating in that state is guilty of an offence.”
In October 2020, the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute, Just Peace Advocates and Palestinian and Jewish Unity made a submission to Attorney General Lametti in regard to schools and other entities illegally recruiting for the IDF in Canada. Lametti asked the RCMP to investigate.
It has recently been reported that more than 1,500 Canadians were serving in the Israeli military last year.
This public support, including tax exemptions through charitable registration, needs to stop, and these schools and their leadership need to be investigated for aiding and abetting recruitment for a foreign military. A military that is committing war crimes and genocide.
Contact: Just Peace Advocates info@justpeaceadvocates.ca
https://paju.org/paju-demands-the-resignation-of-quebec-minister-pascale-dery
