The Canadian government has dissolved the anti-Israel group Samidoun as a federally registered nonprofit, nearly a year and a half after Ottawa and Washington jointly designated it a terrorist entity.
The Vancouver-based organization lost its nonprofit status on Friday, with the government citing “non-compliance,” including an overdue 2025 annual filing. The move was not widely publicized.
Authorities in Canada and the United States designated Samidoun in October 2024, describing it as a front organization with ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a U.S.- and Canada-designated terrorist group.
Samidoun has been linked to anti-Israel protests in Canada that featured violent rhetoric, including reported celebrations of the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and chants of “death to Canada.” It reportedly continues to function through proxies and shadow organizations.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs welcomed the move, calling it “an important community win” and urging Ottawa to continue using “all available tools to protect Canadians from entities tied to terrorism.”
“Organizations and individuals tied to terrorism have no place operating under the protection of Canadian law,” the group wrote.
Canadian Industry Minister Mélanie Joly announced in September that the government was considering the move, declaring it unacceptable that Samidoun “continues to exist as a federally registered not-for-profit organization” following its terror designation. She said she directed officials to explore all options to formally dissolve Samidoun “as well as any and all listed terrorist entities in Canada.”
B’nai Brith Canada, which had also pressed the government to identify Samidoun “as a threat to Canadian society,” also praised the dissolution.
Samidoun’s designation stems largely from its alleged ties to the PFLP. The group’s international coordinator, Charlotte Kates, is married to Khaled Barakat, a senior figure in Samidoun whom the United States has sanctioned for his leadership role in the PFLP.
The designation and subsequent dissolution mean that it is a criminal offense in Canada for anyone to knowingly deal in property owned by the group or provide financial support.
