The Maple has published several articles about the Israel lobby in Canada in the past, examining and critiquing its activities. This one will be a bit different, in that we’ll share the names of the people and groups who make it up.
The conception of the Israel lobby generally used in past articles drew from Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer’s 2007 book The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, seeing it as a “loose coalition of individuals and organizations that actively works to move [Canadian] foreign policy in a pro-Israel direction” and promote pro-Israel domestic policies. Importantly, Walt and Mearsheimer add that “it is not a single, unified movement with a central leadership,” though the groups in it often do work together.
In this article we’ll narrow the conception of the lobby down to actual registered lobby groups in Canada that spend at least some of their efforts on the aforementioned activities.
These groups are required to publish reports on who they lobbied, when they did it and a general idea of what they discussed. They’re also required to publish the names of all of their registered lobbyists. These reports are contained in a database that’s accessible to the Canadian public.
This article lists the groups we believe comprise the Israel lobby in Canada, as well as the names and bios of the people currently registered to lobby on behalf of these groups.
The groups we’ve included are: B’nai Brith National Organization of Canada, The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), Jewish National Fund Inc. (JNF), and Unapologetically Jewish. If a group you expected to see listed wasn’t, it’s almost certainly because it’s not a registered lobby group.
Each lobby group we included has a section in this article listing its stated purpose, how long it has been registered, government funding it has received in the past financial year, its general activities, its responsible officer and the names and bios of its active registered lobbyists.
But first, a few disclaimers.
B’nai Brith and CIJA are organizations with employees who are registered to lobby on their behalf, while the JNF and Unapologetically Jewish are clients who have an external lobbyist representing them.
Although these groups promote pro-Israel policies, and some of their lobbyists have directly worked for the Israeli government in the past, they are Canadian, not Israeli.
These groups spend at least some of their time promoting pro-Israel policies (whether domestic or foreign), but not necessarily all of it.
Finally, the published lobby reports unfortunately don’t specify which lobbyists were involved in any specific lobby meeting, meaning some of the lobbyists here may not have personally lobbied for pro-Israel policies in the past. Regardless, they lobby for a group that does, and as such, are included.
Here are the profiles of each lobby group and the lobbyists associated with them.
B’nai Brith National Organization of Canada
Description: “The Organization’s purpose is to relieve poverty, prevent discrimination and antisemitism, improve the moral and ethical development of the community, provide assistance to victims of human rights abuses, relieve conditions associated with the elderly.” - Lobby registry
Registered since: July 2024
Most-recent registration version: September 2026
Government funding received in last financial year: $100,000 from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
Example of pro-Israel lobbying subject: “Unconditionally support Israel’s efforts to nullify the extra-territorial threats currently compromising its security, and commit to assisting in the development of afunctional democracy within the Palestinian Territories before it recognizes the existence of a Palestinian state.” - Lobby registry
Responsible Officer: Simon Wolle, CEO
MPs lobbied in 2026: Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Frank Caputo, Ben Carr, Martin Champoux, Leslie Church, Julie Dabrusin, John-Paul Danko, Rhéal Éloi Fortin, Karina Gould, Lisa Hepfner, Anthony Housefather, Danielle Martin, Ruby Sahota, Rachael Thomas.
Current registered lobbyists: David Granovsky; Richard Robertson; Sydney Waxman; Simon Wolle.
Lobbyist Details
David Granovsky
Position at associated lobby group: “Director, Government Relations”
First listed as a lobbyist: July 2024.
Public offices held: “Legislative Assistant House of Commons, Office of Deepak Obhrai, MP” (August 2003 to May 2004). | “Special Assistant, Parliamentary Affairs House of Commons, Office of Josee Verner, PC, MP” (October 2007 to November 2007).
Bio: “Granovsky is an advanced public-affairs professional, with 16 years of experience in government, media and stakeholder relations. Before joining B’nai Brith, Granovsky held positions at the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the Canadian Nurses Association and the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada. He began his career working the halls of Parliament as a legislative assistant.” - B’nai Brith
Richard Robertson
Position at associated lobby group: “Director, Research and Advocacy”
First listed as a lobbyist: July 2024.
Bio: “Richard Robertson was born and raised in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada. He holds a Juris Doctor (Dalhousie University, 2017). After law school, he pursued graduate studies in History at York University and the University of Ottawa where his research focused on the topic of the Holocaust. Since 2022, Richard has been employed at B’nai Brith Canada where he serves as the Director of Research and Advocacy.” - B’nai Brith
Sydney Waxman
Position at associated lobby group: “Government & Stakeholder Relations Specialist”
First listed as a lobbyist: May 2026.
Simon Wolle
Position at associated lobby group: “Chief Executive Officer”
First listed as a lobbyist: January 2026.
Bio: “Simon is a widely respected community and business leader with extensive experience in education, law, organizational management, and public service. He has served as Executive Director of The Jewish Camp Council of Toronto, where he also oversaw Camp Northland, Canada’s largest independent Jewish community children’s summer camp. Throughout his career, Simon has demonstrated a deep commitment to strengthening Jewish life, building inclusive communities, and leading with creativity, purpose, and strategic vision.” - B’nai Brith
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs
Description: “The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) is the official representative organizational voice of the Jewish community of Canada. It is the community’s primary vehicle for Jewish community advocacy efforts, helping to improve the quality of Jewish life in Canada and strengthen the Canada-Israel relationship. The centre acts on a broad range of matters affecting the status, rights and welfare of Jews in Canada, as well as on issues of human rights and equality for all Canadians, and articulates the community’s perspectives on key issues of national scope and significance regarding Canada-Israel relations, political, legal/constitutional, human rights, social justice issues, and matters of public policy. The Centre is devoted to the promotion of increased understanding between the peoples of Canada and Israel. In seeking to enhance Canada-Israel friendship, the Centre liaises with government, media, business and academic sectors, often submitting briefs and providing background analyses on matters of public policy. In addition, it sponsors seminars, conferences and other types of educational programming in Canada, and organizes Middle East study missions as well as visits to other communities where there are specific issues relevant to the Jewish community.” - Lobby registry
Registered since: November 2001
Most-recent registration version: March 2026
Government funding received in last financial year: $285,203 from Government of Ontario; $7,350 from Government of Quebec.
Example of pro-Israel lobbying subject: “Defence: Canadians Operations in Israel and the Middle East; Discussions on Canada-Israel military cooperation, joint training exercises and military staff exchanges.” - Lobby registry
Responsible officer: Noah Shack, CEO
MPs lobbied in 2026: Gary Anandasangaree, Roman Baber, Yvan Baker, Parm Bains, Rachel Bendayan, Yves-François Blanchet, Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Kelly Block, Kathy Borelli, Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Frank Caputo, Mark Carney, Ben Carr, Adam Chambers, Martin Champoux, Maggie Chi, Michael D. Chong, Leslie Church, Sandra Cobena, Julie Dabrusin, John-Paul Danko, Claude DeBellefeuille, Kelly DeRidder, Eric Duncan, Ali Ehsassi, Peter Fonseca, Rhéal Éloi Fortin, Sean Fraser, Vince Gasparro, Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Amanpreet Gill, Dalwinder Gill, Karina Gould, Wade Grant, Lisa Hepfner, Vincent Ho, Corey Hogan, Kurt Holman, Anthony Housefather, Grant Jackson, Tamara Jansen, Pat Kelly, Jeff Kibble, Rhonda Kirkland, Tamara Kronis, Ned Kuruc, Stephanie Kusie, Patricia Lattanzio, Michael Ma, Shuvaloy Majumdar, James Maloney, Jacob Mantle, Marc Miller, Christine Normandin, Eleanor Olszewski, Jacques Ramsay, Colin Reynolds, Anna Roberts, Ruby Sahota, Ryan Turnbull, Kevin Waugh.
Current registered lobbyists: Emmanuelle Amar, Shirly Berelowitz, Dario Chaiquin, David Cooper, Yannis Harrouche, Josh Landau, Richard Marceau, Aaron Seres, Noah Shack, Nico Slobinsky, Patrick St. Jacques, Michelle Stock, Eta Yudin, Gustavo Zentner.
Lobbyist Details
Emmanuelle Amar
Position at associated lobby group: “Director of Research and Policy, Quebec”
First listed as a lobbyist: October 2022.
Bio: “Emmanuelle’s role includes developing Quebec-specific policy positions to support outreach efforts as well as monitoring and conducting research on antisemitism.” - CIJA
Shirly Berelowitz
Position at associated lobby group: “Associate Director, External Affairs, Pacific Region”
First listed as a lobbyist: February 2023.
Bio: “Born and raised in Argentina, Shirly Berelowitz moved to Vancouver almost 30 years ago after completing her studies in clinical psychology. As Director, External Affairs for the Pacific Region, she brings 20 years’ experience in building community relations, stakeholder engagement, programming, and outreach, working closely with the local Jewish community.” - CIJA
Dario Chaiquin
Position at associated lobby group: “Associate Director of External Affairs”
First listed as a lobbyist: May 2024.
Public office held: “Intern Liberal Party, Parliament Office of Liberal MP, Will Amos (Pontiac)” (January 2017 to April 2017).
Bio: “As Associate Director of National External Affairs at CIJA, Dario Chaiquin is focused on strengthening allyship and building bridges with local and national organizations across Canada, spanning many faith and ethnic groups. With experience in government relations, Dario is attuned to the political implications for CIJA’s advocacy. He also previously worked at the Embassy of Israel in Canada, where he built partnerships between Israeli and Canadian cultural institutions and covered various policy areas from foreign affairs to national security and beyond. An experienced advocate, Dario spent many years working in Jewish and Israeli advocacy, both on university campuses and in community settings.” - Canadian Interfaith Conversation
David Cooper
Position at associated lobby group: “Vice President, Government Relations”
First listed as a lobbyist: December 2002.
Bio: “David Cooper leads CIJA’s national government relations team. He has been recognized by the Hill Times as one of Canada’s ‘Top 100 Lobbyists’. Cooper holds a B.A. (Hons) in Political Science from York University and a M.A. in Central/East European and Russian-Area Studies from Carleton University.” - CIJA
Yannis Harrouche
Position at associated lobby group: “Directeur des relations gouvernementales, Québec”
First listed as a lobbyist: November 2021.
Public office held: “Special Assistant Transport Canada, Minister Denis Lebel’s office” (May 2012 to October 2014).
Bio: “Yannis Harrouche is government relations professional with years of experience in the political arena. Having established a strong network at the federal and provincial levels, Yannis has developed invaluable relationships with key political figures. Yannis combines into his work his sensitivity to the nuances of Quebec’s political landscape with his deep understanding of Quebec’s culture, values, and priorities. He brings a strong personal commitment to defending the Jewish community, combating antisemitism, and promoting religious tolerance.” - CIJA
Josh Landau
Position at associated lobby group: “Director, Government Relations, Ontario”
First listed as a lobbyist: October 2024.
Public offices held: “Parliamentary Secretary’s Assistant Global Affairs, Office of the Minister of International Development” (October 2013 to September 2014). | “Policy Advisor/Special Assistant, Policy and Issues Global Affairs, Office of the Minister of State” (September 2014 to October 2015).
Bio: “Josh Landau is the Director of Government Relations, Ontario, at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. Josh is a seasoned government relations professional with over a decade of experience working within the government and advocacy sectors, with an extensive background in legislative processes, strategic communications, policy, issues management and political campaigns.” - CIJA
Richard Marceau
Position at associated lobby group: “Vice President, External Affairs and General Counsel”
First listed as a lobbyist: March 2007.
Public office held: “Member of Parliament Political Party, Bloc Quebecois Caucus” (June 1997 to January 2006).
Bio: “Richard is a former Member of Parliament, a lawyer, a published author, a human rights activist, and a person passionate about the Jewish story.” - CIJA
Aaron Seres
Position at associated lobby group: “Manager, GTA Stakeholder Relations”
First listed as a lobbyist: February 2023.
Bio: “Aaron Seres is a British expat who cares deeply about fighting for issues impacting the Jewish community. As a former senior advisor in the Ontario government, he is deeply tuned into the political system. This proves useful as he focuses on building and strengthening relationships with community partners in the GTA.” - CIJA
Noah Shack
Position at associated lobby group: “CEO”
First listed as a lobbyist: March 2012.
Bio: “Noah’s career has included working at the Washington-based Middle East Institute and the Canada-Israel Committee (a predecessor to CIJA). Noah joined CIJA after it was established in 2011, culminating in his service as VP for the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario Government Relations. Prior to rejoining CIJA in his current capacity, Noah served as Vice President, Countering Antisemitism and Hate, at UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, where he led UJA’s multifaceted strategy to address this core community priority. [...]
As a recognized thought leader on antisemitism, Israel, and the public policy interests of the Jewish community, Noah has been a leading voice for Canadian Jewry throughout his career. He has testified as an expert witness at all levels of government, led missions to Israel of academics and elected officials, run training programs for various government bodies (including crown prosecutors, police boards, and school boards), authored extensive opinion editorials and policy proposals, and served as a spokesperson in the national media on behalf of the Jewish community.” - CIJA
Nico Slobinsky
Position at associated lobby group: “Vice President, Pacific Region”
First listed as a lobbyist: March 2016.
Bio: “Nico supports the local community’s advocacy goals working with the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, community agencies, leaders in government, media, academia, civic society and other faith and ethnic communities across the Pacific Region.” - CIJA
“I did my military service in the IDF spokesperson unit.” - Twitter
Patrick St. Jacques
Position at associated lobby group: “Executive Assistant”
First listed as a lobbyist: September 2022.
Bio: “BA Political Science (U Laval) Former political advisor in Ottawa. Executive assistant to the VP of External Relations and legal counsel for [CIJA].” - Twitter (auto-translated from French)
Michelle Stock
Position at associated lobby group: “Vice President, Ontario”
First listed as a lobbyist: August 2024.
Bio: “A native Montrealer, CIJA’s Vice President (Ontario) worked for six years for the Government of Ontario in various ministries and policy and planning roles, most recently as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery. Michelle earned an Honours Bachelor of Social Science Degree (cum laude) from the University of Ottawa and a Masters in Public Policy (Honours) from the University of Calgary.” - CIJA
Eta Yudin
Position at associated lobby group: “Vice President, Quebec”
First listed as a lobbyist: September 2016.
Bio: “Eta Yudin built her expertise in communications, advocacy, and community and government relations starting as a grassroots student advocate. At CIJA, she served as Deputy Director of Public Affairs and Community Relations before being appointed Vice-President (Quebec) in 2016.
Eta was instrumental in facilitating the first official visits to Israel of a sitting Quebec Premier, a Montreal Mayor and the recent historic opening of a Quebec Bureau in Israel, a significant milestone in the Quebec-Israel relationship. She has appeared as an expert witness before Quebec National Assembly commissions and serves as a media spokesperson. She is a recipient of King Charles III’s Coronation Medal, the Medal of the National Assembly, and the Tel Aviv University Friendship Award honouring her leadership in representing the interests of her community.” - CIJA
Gustavo Zentner
Position at associated lobby group: “Vice President, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan”
First listed as a lobbyist: January 2024.
Bio: “Gustavo is a well-known Jewish community leader with vast experience in public affairs and advocacy across many sectors and organizations in Canada and Israel. Formerly, he was the Head of a Manitoba Government Secretariat dealing with international trade and diplomatic affairs. Representing CIJA in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Gustavo advocates for Canada’s Jewish community and for the people and land of Israel. He supports the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, working with leaders in government, academia, and civic society and with other Canadian and Israeli decision-making networks.” - CIJA
Jewish National Fund Inc.
Description: “The Jewish National Fund, commonly abbreviated to JNF, is a non-profit organization that aims to give current and future generations of Jews the ability to build a better Israel.” - JNF website archive
Registered since: July 2025
Most-recent registration version: January 2026
Government funding received in last financial year: None
Example of pro-Israel lobbying subject: “Achieving legal settlement for Jewish National Fund of Canada charitable status.” - Lobby registry
Client representative: Lance Davis, CEO
MPs lobbied in 2026: None noted thus far.
Current registered lobbyist: Warren Kinsella
Lobbyist Details
Warren Kinsella
Position at associated lobby group: Lobbyist
First listed as a lobbyist: July 2025.
Public offices held: “Executive Assistant Public Works and Government Services Canada, Office of the Minister” (November 1993 to January 1996). | “Executive Assistant Health Canada, Office of the Minister” (January 1996 to February 1996).
Bio: “Warren Kinsella is a lawyer, pundit, political consultant, and a newspaper and magazine columnist. He is the author of The War Room and the bestselling Web of Hate. He lives in Toronto, is a dad to four amazing kids, still plays in a punk band and is the president and founder of the Daisy Group, a political consulting group.” - Penguin Random House Canada
Unapologetically Jewish
Description: “We empower Jews to stand proud, speak boldly, and live safely. Unapologetically Jewish combats antisemitism through grassroots organizing, legal advocacy, and direct action, building a Canada where Jewish identity is celebrated, not silenced.” - Unapologetically Jewish website
Registered since: September 2025
Most-recent registration version: September 2026
Government funding received in last financial year: None
Example of pro-Israel lobbying subject: “Advocate for the designation of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement as a national security threat and a form of economic warfare against the State of Israel.” - Lobby registry
Client representative: Matthew Taub
MPs lobbied in 2026: Shuvaloy Majumdar, Michelle Rempel Garner.
Current registered lobbyist: Corey Herscu
Lobbyist Details
Corey Herscu
Position at associated lobby group: Lobbyist.
First listed as a lobbyist: September 2025.
Bio: “Corey Herscu is a full-time consultant with Daisy. He graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University (nee Ryerson) where he studied public relations and communications. A career publicist and growth consultant, Corey helped launch several household tech brands and the legalization of adult-use cannabis in Canada.” - Daisy Group
