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Anti-Israel activist groups in Canada have begun a coordinated effort targeting 17 Jewish summer camps across the country.
The coalition accuses the camps of supporting the State of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and is urging provincial authorities to revoke their accreditation.
In a joint statement released Friday, the groups — including Canada BDS — called for protests against camps they claimed provided “explicit support for the Israeli military” and for what they described as “genocide.” The statement asserted: “When children’s camps support a genocidal state, it’s time for gigantic change.”
According to the coalition, 17 camps “support the State of Israel in some way.” Ten operate in Ontario, three in Quebec, and one each in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia.
Jewish Identity and Israel Ties Cast as Grounds for Sanction
The allegations cover a broad range of activities. Some camps have raised funds described by activists as “war relief.” Others have hosted Israeli guest speakers or posted images with Israeli soldiers. In several instances, the coalition pointed to counselors who previously served in the Israel Defense Forces, a requirement for most Israeli citizens.
Several camps observe Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day Day. Activists cited that commemoration as evidence of “explicit support.” They also referenced the hiring of Israeli citizens as proof of political alignment.
The coalition criticized camps that adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism. It further objected to the use of Hebrew and Israeli cultural references in camp programming.
One camp faced criticism for advertising pita with za’atar, which activists labeled cultural “appropriation.” In a separate statement, the coalition insisted it did not oppose Jewish identity itself. Instead, it claimed the camps promoted support for what it called a “genocidal, settler-colonial State.”
The groups are now encouraging supporters to contact camping associations in Quebec and Nova Scotia and demand the revocation of accreditation from camps that hire, host, or support current or former Israeli military personnel.
They also urged the Board of Directors of the Ontario Camps Association (OCA) to discipline its executive director, Joy Levy, alleging she publicly supported Israel and its military.
Ontario Camps Association Rejects Claims as Antisemitic
Levy responded Friday on behalf of the OCA. She expressed “deep concern” over allegations she called “discriminatory and antisemitic in nature.”
“The accusations, aimed at our executive director, members of the OCA team, and several member camps, draw directly on stereotyped libels and tropes related to Israel, Zionism, and Jewish people — including ‘genocide’ and ‘colonizers,’ symbolic categories that are so often spread with specifically malicious intent,” Levy said.
Levy emphasized that the OCA functioned as a provincial standards and accreditation body. “We do not adjudicate international geopolitical conflicts, nor do we evaluate member camps based on their religious or cultural identity,” she stated. “We will not allow antisemitism, intimidation, discrimination, or harassment to take root within Ontario’s camp community.”
She added that efforts to pressure accreditation bodies and target staff threaten the safety of Jewish children and undermined Jewish communal life in Canada.
The campaign follows earlier initiatives that sought to catalogue Jewish institutions with ties to Israel. In recent months, a database known as “Find IDF Soldiers” documented Canadians who served in the Israeli military and later launched a related project called “GTA to IDF.” That database identified schools and community institutions attended by those individuals. Camps Moshava Ennismore and Ramah were among those listed.
Support for Israel is foundational to Jewish life. Treating that connection as disqualifying — or as evidence of wrongdoing — imposes a standard no other ethnic or religious community is required to meet. No other group is told that ties to its ancestral homeland render its schools, camps, or institutions suspect.
When Jewish camps are targeted for affirming their bond with Israel, endorsing recognized definitions of antisemitism, or expressing mainstream Jewish values, the implication is unmistakable: Jewish identity itself is being placed on trial. That is the normalization of antisemitism.
Take Action
CAM has launched Report It — a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent — download it today on the Apple Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it. Together, we can fight this hate.
