OTTAWA–Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has accused Christian aid group KAIROS of being anti-Semitic and disclosed that's why the group suddenly lost its federal funding.

In a speech in Jerusalem about what he said was Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government's leading position combatting the enemies of Israel, Kenney lumped KAIROS – a Toronto-based ecumenical group that works for social justice abroad – in with what he described as other anti-Semitic organizations.

He said this is why Ottawa recently ended 35 years of funding for KAIROS, which encompasses Anglican, Catholic and other mainstream Canadian Christian churches.

"We have de-funded organizations, most recently, like KAIROS who are taking a leadership role in the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign" against Israel, he told the Global Forum for combatting anti-Semitism.

A spokesperson for KAIROS, which has tried to get answers from the Harper government on the group's funding, expressed shock.

Executive director Mary Corkery said Kenney's statement was based on incorrect information about her group's positions and raises serious questions about the politicization of the aid process by the Conservative government.

"If any group that criticizes an action by the government of Israel is called anti-Semitic by the government of Canada, that's very serious."

"You cannot label someone anti-Semitic because they criticize a government," she said.

"That's outrageous."

The public needs to have a national debate about this approach to handling aid funding, Corkery said.

KAIROS was stunned by Kenney's remarks because International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda told the public and Parliament the group lost its funding because of shifting priorities at the Canadian International Development Agency.

Corkery denied that KAIROS favours a boycott of Israel or advocated divesting funds from Israeli corporations.

"We have taken positions that critique actions of the Israeli government, as have people in many organizations," Corkery said.

"We have raised issues that we think cause suffering among people. But we have never spoken out against the state of Israel or tried to harm Israel."

Alykhan Velshi, Kenney's director of communications, said the minister's words "speak for themselves."

The federal Conservatives have taken steps to "disentangle" the government from groups that are anti-Semitic or anti-Israel, he said.

Until late November, when KAIROS learned it was cut off by Ottawa, the group had hoped to receive $7 million in funding over several years.

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The $7.1 million for which the group had applied – $1,775,000 a year for four years – works out to about 0.04 per cent of the development agency's annual official development assistance budget, which was $4.73 billion in 2008, according to the Library of Parliament.

KAIROS would have used the money to help resettle people who have lost their homes and livelihoods because of rising sea levels, and at a legal clinic in the Congo that assists rape victims, among other projects, Corkery said.

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