The Giller Foundation has severed ties with primary sponsor Scotiabank following a lengthy campaign by activists calling for the organization to walk away from sponsors who invest in Israeli companies.
The foundation has not disclosed its reasons for terminating its partnership with Scotiabank, which played a significant role in increasing its renowned literary prize to $100,000. The move comes at a time when activists were criticizing the bank’s financial involvement with Elbit Systems, an Israeli firm that produces drone systems and other defence-related technologies.
“We are indebted to Scotiabank for their exceptional commitment over the past two decades,” Giller Foundation executive director Elana Rabinovitch said in an emailed statement. “Their support has helped transform the Giller Prize into one of the foremost literary awards in Canada, and we look forward to building on that legacy as we move into an exciting new era.”…