An Israeli legal advocacy group has called on Canadian authorities and the payment services company Stripe to take immediate action against a website it says effectively creates a “target list” of Jewish institutions across Canada.
In letters sent this week to Ontario law enforcement officials and to Stripe Inc., the Israeli NGO Shurat HaDin urged the shutdown of a website operated by an entity known as “The Maple,” which publishes a directory titled “GTA to IDF.” The site lists Jewish schools, synagogues, and children’s camps, claiming they are “associated” with the Israel Defense Forces.
Shurat HaDin warned that the website goes far beyond political expression and poses a tangible security threat to Jewish communities, particularly amid a surge in antisemitic incidents in Canada.
Appeal to Canadian authorities
In its letter to Canadian law enforcement, addressed to Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw, Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Thomas Carrique and Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey, Shurat HaDin called for an immediate investigation into whether the website violates Canadian criminal law.
The organization urged authorities to shut down the site and take steps to protect Jewish institutions it said have been “severely jeopardized” by the publication of their details.
“The website’s message is not academic,” the letter states. “It is the kind of narrative that has historically fueled intimidation, vandalism, threats and violence against Jewish schools and synagogues. When placed into a searchable directory format, it becomes functionally a target list.”
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Nitsana Darshan-Leitner is the founder and president of Shurat HaDin – Israel Law Center
(Photo: Pavel Tolchinsky)
The letter cites a documented rise in antisemitic vandalism, harassment and attacks in Canada in recent years, noting that some of the institutions listed on the website have already been targeted in such incidents.
Shurat HaDin argued that the site may constitute hate propaganda, criminal harassment or mischief targeting religious property, and warned that it could foreseeably facilitate threats or violence against Jewish communities.
“The writing is on the wall,” the letter concludes. “This website, which aggregates and highlights Jewish communal institutions for hostile scrutiny, is a concrete risk multiplier that increases the likelihood of real-world attacks.”
Demand to Stripe
In a separate letter to Stripe, Shurat HaDin formally notified the company that “The Maple” is using Stripe and its Link services to monetize and distribute the website’s content.
The organization demanded that Stripe immediately suspend and terminate all payment services provided to the site, disable recurring billing and conduct an internal compliance review to assess potential violations of Stripe’s policies.
The letter emphasized the vulnerability of the institutions listed, particularly schools, children’s camps and places of worship, and argued that the project directly contradicts Stripe’s Prohibited Businesses policy. That policy bars the use of Stripe services for illegal activities or for businesses that promote or facilitate unlawful violence or harm against individuals or groups based on religion or other protected characteristics.
“A monetized project that aggregates and highlights Jewish schools, synagogues and camps in a manner that foreseeably exposes them to intimidation, threats or physical harm falls squarely within the category of prohibited activity,” the letter said.
Shurat HaDin warned that continued provision of payment services after receiving notice could expose Stripe to reputational, regulatory and legal consequences.
‘History is repeating itself’
Shurat HaDin President Nitsana Darshan-Leitner drew a stark historical comparison, warning that the publication of such lists echoes patterns seen in past antisemitic persecution.
“Truth must be told: we are reliving the Jewish persecution of the 1930s,” she said. “The only difference is that the lists of Jews and Jewish institutions once created by fascists are now prepared under the guise of human rights and freedom of speech.”
“The results are always the same,” she added. “Blood libels that end with spilled Jewish blood. History remembers those who stayed silent and those who allowed such lists to be created, and we will use every legal tool at our disposal to fight them.”
Shurat HaDin is an Israel-based legal organization that focuses on combating terrorism and antisemitism through litigation and legal advocacy. It represents thousands of victims of terror attacks and antisemitic violence worldwide.