NDP Alleges Pro-Israeli Witch Hunt at Federal Agency

The former head of Rights and Democracy came under fire for approving grants to Mideast agencies that critics said were biased against Israel.

The internal turmoil at Rights and Democracy burst into the public eye in January, when its president Rémy Beaugregard died of a heart attack after a tense board meeting. Staff members said that he had been harassed by Jacques Gauthier and other board members over his approval of grants to Palestinian aid groups and called for Gauthier’s resignation. Instead, Gauthier was made president of the agency, which is tasked with promoting human rights. With the support of the Harper government Gauthier launched an audit of the agency’s funding decisions. The report, to be made public Thursday, found no fiscal mismanagement, leading the NDP’s Paul Dewar to allege that the government fabricated a scandal in order to promote a pro-Israeli agenda.