The Exigent Foundation (EF) is a pro-Israel organization that has taken dozens of Canadian journalists and others on sponsored trips since 2024.
EF was co-founded in March 2024 by Larry Maher, Georganne Burke and Vivian Bercovici.
Maher describes himself as “an entrepreneur in the construction and real estate industries.” He is listed as the president of Maher Construction.
Burke is a senior vice-president at the Pathway Group consulting firm, where she is described as “a seasoned veteran of political activities in the United States and Canada” who “spent the past ten years in a variety of roles with the Conservative Party of Canada, and in the offices of ministers and MPs” and is “the Chapter Lead for Republicans Overseas in Canada.”
Bercovici is a former Canadian ambassador to Israel who went on to work for Black Cube, a private Israeli intelligence firm described by the CBC as “a controversial private sector company composed of ex-members of the Mossad and other Israeli intelligence agencies.” Bercovici stepped down as an EF director in November 2024.
The purpose of EF, according to its incorporation document as a non-profit, is, “To promote good race relations in Canada by public education campaigns fighting racial discrimination.”
EF has taken at least eight delegations of Canadians to Israel. These trips have also included time in the West Bank, referred to by Maher as “Judea and Sameria,” the “borders of Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan” and the illegally occupied Golan Heights. Participants have also met with Israeli government officials, including the deputy minister of foreign affairs.
The majority of the media figures who attended these trips have published content on their experience, including articles, videos and podcasts. Examples include articles titled, “Israel must get on with it and finish the job by flattening Gaza,” “What I, a Muslim, did not know about Israel,” and, “My fellow progressives — you’ve been lied to about Israel.”
The Maple reached out to EF through the contact form on their website to ask how many people they’ve taken on these trips, if they cover the costs of the trips in their entirety, how much they’ve spent on them and where they get their money from. We did not receive a response.
Here’s a list of 27 media figures who have gone on the trip, with details about who they are, where they work and what they published about the trip. This list should not be considered comprehensive. It will be updated going forward.
Joe Adam George | Beth Baisch | Adrienne Batra | Melanie Bennet | Keean Bexte | Harrison Faulkner | Jen Gerson | Terry Glavin | Warren Kinsella | Dahlia Kurtz | Isaac Lamoureux | Andy Lee | Brian Lilley | Negar Mojtahedi | Cory Morgan | Dave Naylor | Bryan Passifiume | Andrew Perez | Mohammed Rizwan | Leslie Roberts | Rob Roberts | Caryma Sa’d | Robert Walker | Karen Woods | Yoyo Yan | Adam Zivo | Alex Zoltan
Joe Adam George
Bio: “Joe Adam George is the research lead for Islamist threats in Canada at the Middle East Forum. Based in Ottawa, he is also a foreign policy and national security analyst with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, covering Islamist extremism in the West, terror financing, and geopolitical developments in the Middle East and South Asia and their impact on Canada and the U.S. Joe previously worked in the Parliament of Canada as press secretary and advisor to the leader of the opposition party, and as a research intern at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Political-Military Analysis.” - Middle East Forum
Employers/Affiliations: Macdonald-Laurier Institute, Middle East Forum
Year of trip: 2025
Content from trip:
Special to National Post
Beth Baisch
Bio: “Toronto-based photojournalist nature photographer qualified Animal Health Technologist experienced wildlife carer and volunteer educator.” - The Post Millennial
Employer/Affiliation: The Post Millennial
Year of trip: 2024
Content from trip:
The Post Millennial: “Israeli medical doctor laments effects of war on patient care for Israelis and Palestinians”
The Post Millennial: “‘This whole place is managed by God’: Brothers see Israeli rest stop serving IDF soldiers as holy mission”
Adrienne Batra
Bio: “Adrienne Batra is Editor in Chief of the Toronto Sun.” - Toronto Sun
Employer/Affiliation: Toronto Sun
Year of trip: 2024
Melanie Bennet
Bio: “Investigative journalist with True North covering how ideology reshapes education, policy, and culture. I report the stories legacy media won’t.” - Substack
Employer/Affiliation: True North
Year of trip: 2025
Content from trip:
Substack
Keean Bexte
Bio: “Keean Bexte is an award-winning journalist based in Canada. Bexte has broke stories worldwide, from Hong Kong to the White House. After leaving Rebel News, Bexte now runs his show independently at The Counter Signal.” - YouTube
Employers/Affiliations: The Counter Signal, Juno News
Year of trip: 2025
Harrison Faulkner
Bio: “I am a Canadian journalist, content producer, political commentator and podcast host with over four years of experience in the journalism industry. I was the host of Ratio’d on True North and The Faulkner Show podcast which had over 16 million total views on YouTube. I have interviewed politicians, business leaders, former senior military officers and political activists and I have reported on global events and politcal [sic] issues in three continents. I appear frequently on global news platforms to provide opinion and commentary including on GB News America, CNN-News18 and WION News.” - Portfolio website
Employer/Affiliation: Independent journalist
Year of trip: 2025
Content from trip:
The site of the Nova Festival in Southern Israel has been converted into a memorial for victims of the October 7 attacks. pic.twitter.com/meoGCV4gHi
— Harrison Faulkner (@Harry__Faulkner) May 19, 2025
Jen Gerson
Bio: “Jen Gerson is co-founder of The Line, www.readtheline.ca. She is a Canadian journalist who has contributed to the CBC, the National Post, Maclean’s, Walrus, the Washington Post, and the New York Times.” - Substack
Employer/Affiliation: The Line
Year of trip: 2024
Content from trip:
Jen Gerson
Jen Gerson
Terry Glavin
Bio: “Author, journalist. Ottawa Citizen & National Post columnist. Contributing editor, Maclean’s magazine. Senior Fellow, Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights.” - Substack
Employers/Affiliations: National Post, Ottawa Citizen
Year of trip: 2024
Content from trip:
Terry Glavin
Terry Glavin
Warren Kinsella
Bio: “Warren Kinsella is the president of Daisy. Previously, he was a partner at the law firm of McMillan Binch, in its Public Policy Group, and has also worked as a consultant, journalist and political Chief of Staff. Warren received a Bachelor of Journalism (Honours) from Carleton University and his law degree from the University of Calgary; he has also completed executive education courses at Harvard’s law school and its school of business. [...] Warren has been a columnist with the Ottawa Citizen, National Post, Hill Times and nationally with the Postmedia media chain.” - Daisy Group
Employer/Affiliation: Toronto Sun
Year of trip: 2024
Content from trip:
Warren Kinsella
Warren Kinsella
Warren Kinsella
Warren Kinsella
Warren Kinsella
Warren Kinsella
Dahlia Kurtz
Bio: “Jew. Grandchild of Holocaust survivors. Investigative journalist. Columnist. Speaker.” - Instagram
Employer/Affiliation: Independent journalist
Year of trip: 2024
Isaac Lamoureux
Bio: “Isaac Lamoureux is a bilingual journalist and researcher for True North Wire.” - True North
Employer/Affiliation: True North
Year of trip: 2026
Andy Lee
Bio: “Former federal candidate. Previously censored by Twitter. Independent writer and researcher.” - Substack
Employer/Affiliation: Independent journalist
Year of trip: 2026
Content from trip:
Yes, and I had the honour of meeting the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, unlike the cowardly Canadian MPs who slunk around trying to enter through backchannels, funded by an entity Israel designated as a terror organization. She had something to say.
— Andy Lee (@RealAndyLeeShow) January 21, 2026
Where is Canadian media? https://t.co/EkmXp61zeR pic.twitter.com/9QBZb3CwGh
Brian Lilley
Bio: “Brian Lilley is a political columnist with the Toronto Sun. A veteran of radio, TV, print and online, Brian cut his teeth covering courts, crime and everything else as a junior reporter in Montreal. Since 2002 he’s spent most of his time focused on politics including working from 2005 through 2010 as the Ottawa Bureau Chief for Newstalk 1010 in Toronto and CJAD 800 in Montreal. In 2010, Brian joined the Sun to help with the launch of Sun News Network, hosting the popular nightly show Byline while also writing weekly columns for the paper. Now based in Toronto, Brian writes daily columns on politics covering all levels of government and is regularly heard commenting on issues on talk radio stations across the country.” - Toronto Sun
Employer/Affiliation: Toronto Sun
Year of trip: 2024
Content from trip:
Brian Lilley
Brian Lilley
Brian Lilley
Brian Lilley
Negar Mojtahedi
Bio: “Journalist, Iran International English, ex-Global BC/CTV/CBC, Award-Winning Filmmaker, News Junkie.” - Twitter
Employer/Affiliation: Iran International
Year of trip: 2024
Content from trip:
Negar Mojtahedi
Negar Mojtahedi
Cory Morgan
Bio: “Cory Morgan is a Senior Alberta Columnist and the Host the Cory Morgan Show for the Western Standard and Alberta Report based in the Calgary Headquarters. He previously served as Opinion Editor.” - Western Standard
Employer/Affiliation: Western Standard
Year of trip: 2025
Content from trip:
Dave Naylor
Bio: “Dave Naylor is News Editor & Calgary Bureau Chief of the Western Standard based in the Calgary Headquarters. He served as City Editor of the Calgary Sun & covered Alberta news for nearly 40 years.” - Western Standard
Employer/Affiliation: Western Standard
Year of trip: 2025
Content from trip:
Dave Naylor
Dave Naylor
Dave Naylor
Dave Naylor
Dave Naylor
Bryan Passifiume
Bio: “Since Aug. 2024, I’ve served as the Toronto Sun’s Ottawa bureau chief, largely in charge of covering Parliament Hill for the Sun newspaper papers, based in our nation’s capital. I’ve been a part of Sun newsrooms for over a decade, starting as a general assignment reporter with the Calgary Sun in Aug. 2014. I eventually moved from general news to crime, running the crime/police desk at the Calgary Sun and Calgary Herald until moving to the Toronto Sun in April 2018. My coverage with the Toronto Sun shifted from spot news to politics, becoming the Sun’s city hall reporter before moving to Ottawa in Jan. 2022 to briefly join the National Post's parliamentary bureau. I specialize in covering the federal government and national political affairs, as well as international affairs. Since the Oct. 7 terror attacks I’ve devoted portions of covering Canada’s explosion of antisemitism, the struggle of Canadian Jews and Israelis, and have visited Israel numerous times as part of my coverage.” - Toronto Sun
Employer/Affiliation: Toronto Sun
Year of trip: 2024
Content from trip:
Bryan Passifiume
Bryan Passifiume
Bryan Passifiume
Andrew Perez
Bio: “Andrew Perez is a non-profit leader, public affairs strategist, entrepreneur, national political commentator and freelance writer with over a decade of experience supporting non-profit organizations, public institutions and leaders in shaping effective communications, media relations and advocacy strategies. [...] He is also a nationally recognized political commentator and Liberal Party strategist. Andrew's bylines have appeared in leading Canadian media outlets such as the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and National Post. Andrew has regularly been featured on CBC News, CTV News, CP24 and BNN Bloomberg. His political insights have often been cited in national and international media, including in outlets such as The Canadian Press, BBC, The Wall Street Journal and The Jerusalem Post.” - Perez Strategies
Employer/Affiliation: Perez Strategies
Year of trip: 2024
Content from trip:
Special to National Post
Mohammed Rizwan
Bio: “Mohammed Rizwan is an experienced journalist and opinion editorialist for various global outlets and organizations over the years, with a special regional focus on Pakistan, Afghanistan, and South Asia more broadly. Rizwan has written and spoken extensively on the relationship between Israel and Pakistan, but more broadly, writes about matters concerning terrorism & war, and geo-political and strategic matters.” - HonestReporting Canada
Employer/Affiliation: Independent journalist
Year of trip: 2025
Content from trip:
Special to National Post
Leslie Roberts
Bio: “Leslie Roberts is a fourth-generation Montreal journalist. Born and raised in the city, he has been a familiar face on Canadian television since the late 1980s. Over the years, he has hosted his own radio show on CJAD, written columns for the Montreal Gazette, and built a career as an anchor, host, and commentator. His professional journey took him to Toronto, Ottawa, and the United States before he chose to return home four years ago. Wherever his career led him, Leslie never stopped being one of Montreal’s most passionate ambassadors. He consistently promoted the city’s energy, culture, and potential. Yet, upon his return after more than twenty years away, he found a city facing financial challenges, stalled by misplaced priorities and weak policies. Disappointed by this reality, Leslie began writing opinion pieces for La Presse, the Montreal Gazette, and the National Post.” - Ensemble Montréal
Employer/Affiliation: Montreal City Council
Year of trip: 2025
Content from trip:
Special to National Post
Rob Roberts
Bio: “Rob Roberts is editor-in-chief of the National Post, where he has worked in various editing roles since it started up in 1998, minus a stint as Atlantic Bureau Chief for The Canadian Press from 2015-19. He previously worked for his hometown Montreal Gazette, as well as the now-defunct Daily News in Halifax as a reporter and copy editor, and at CKCW-CFQM Radio in Moncton, N.B., where among other things he produced a Top 40 countdown.” - National NewsMedia Council
Employer/Affiliation: National Post
Content from trips:
Rob Roberts
Rob Roberts
Rob Roberts
Rob Roberts
Rob Roberts
Caryma Sa’d
Bio: “Lawyer. Journalist. Satirist. Protest Watcher.” - Twitter
Employer/Affiliation: Independent journalist
Year of trip: 2026
Content from trip:
My first night in Tel Aviv ended with a walk through my dad's hometown of Jaffa, breathing air that reinvigorated my sense of self.
— Caryma Sa'd - Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) January 18, 2026
The feeling was familiar: I am home.
READ MORE:https://t.co/UZbCDhhVeP pic.twitter.com/ihW4MI1flv
Robert Walker
Bio: “Robert Walker is the assistant director of HonestReporting Canada. In his role, he helps oversee the organization’s content creation, including alerts, podcasts, videos, and more. He also works directly with journalists and editors across the country to ensure fairness and accuracy in reporting. Additionally, he is actively involved in helping to organize and conduct community antisemitism education workshops for all audiences, so that the public at large can become empowered to challenge anti-Jewish media bias and misinformation. Robert Walker is also a member of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS).” - HonestReporting Canada
Employer/Affiliation: HonestReporting Canada
Year of trip: 2024
Content from trip:
Rick Firth
Karen Woods
Bio: “Seen on CBC, Global News, CTV, CGTN America, RFA Chinese, NPR.” - Twitter
Employer/Affiliation: Independent journalist
Year of trip: 2024
Content from trip:
Special to National Post
Yoyo Yan
Bio: “Reporter | http://AuroraToday.ca | Village Media.” - Twitter
Employers/Affiliations: Aurora Today, Village Media
Year of trip: 2024
Content from trip:
Special to National Post
Adam Zivo
Bio: “Adam Zivo is a freelance writer and weekly columnist at National Post. He is best known for his coverage of the war in Ukraine, as well as for founding and directing LoveisLoveisLove, a Canadian LGBTQ advocacy campaign. Zivo’s work has appeared in the Washington Examiner, Jerusalem Post, Ottawa Citizen, The Diplomat, Xtra Magazine, LGBTQ Nation, IN Magazine, Quillette, and the Daily Hive, among other publications.” - National Post
Employer/Affiliation: National Post
Year of trip: 2024
Content from trip:
Adam Zivo
Adam Zivo
Alex Zoltan
Bio: “Crime reporter w True North, Canada’s ‘least racist white journalist’ and the guy who asked Carney the gender question. I make skateboard videos about politics.” - Twitter
Employer/Affiliation: True North
Year of trip: 2026
Content from trip:
The Golan Heights are a highly coveted and disputed territory despite being cold as a witch’s tit. pic.twitter.com/TirWgfTOu9
— Alex Zoltan (@AmazingZoltan) January 21, 2026
Read more...
Davide Mastracci
Davide Mastracci
