Heather Reisman, the founder, Chair, and CEO of Indigo Books, and her partner Gerald Schwartz, have used their substantial share of profits from Indigo Books & Music Inc., to establish the HESEG Foundation, a Canadian charitable organization that provides incentives to foreign nationals (“lone soldiers”) to voluntarily enlist in the Israeli Occupation Forces. HESEG Foundation offers grants and scholarships that covers the recipient’s tuition costs at an academic institution in Israel, as well as their living expenses during study, on the condition that the recipient serves at least one term of active service in the Israeli military. The foundation typically spends over $5M annually on grants and scholarships supporting volunteers enlisting in the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). According to Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME), the HESEG Board of Directors has consisted of several members or veterans of the IOF who have been criticized for major violations of international law under their command. Although the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) states that “supporting the armed forces of another country” is not charitable, the HESEG Foundation has maintained support and its official charity status.

The Israeli government, whose soldiers enforce the violent occupation of Palestine, are currently engaged in the destruction of the Gaza strip, with The Lancet making the grim projection that the death toll from October 7, 2023 onward could conservatively exceed 186,000. Children account for nearly half of presently known deaths.

The Palestinian solidarity movement in Canada has been calling for a boycott of Indigo since 2006. As the people of Gaza are currently facing genocide, we have a moral obligation to name and hold accountable companies that are aiding in the slaughter of Palestinians.