By Stuart Littlewood

Israel lobby here in the UK is creating a storm in an advertising teacup in a bid to throw a spanner in the works of Palestinian tourism.

The Jerusalem Post reports that Britain's advertising watchdog has launched an investigation into "a barrage of complaints" over a ‘Travel Palestine’ advert in the National Geographic magazine because it "appears to blot out the existence of the State of Israel".

The Palestinians’ modest attempt to attract tourists to their country was promptly met by the Israel lobby’s ‘usual suspects’ squealing their indignation and making fatuous territorial claims.

The advert was published by the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. According to the Jerusalem Post, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it had received 60 complaints. The Zionist Federation of the UK, for example, grumbled that the advert was misleading as it gave the “false impression” that Palestine is a country; that Jerusalem is part of Palestine; and that Palestine extends from the Mediterranean to the River Jordan.

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