The Advertising Standards Authority has just now banned an ad from the Israel Ministry of Tourism due to many complaints from the public. This ad, which was advertising holidays in the country, apparently presented a number of pictures of Israel, outlining a potential itinerary for travel to the area.

However, complainants started to pour in that the photographs featured in the ad from Jerusalem was from East Jerusalem. Thus, they go on to say that this means that the ad was misleading, because it implied that East Jerusalem was part of the state of Israel.

Coming to the defense of the ad, the State of Israel Ministry of Tourism stated that the ad provided basic and accurate information to prospective UK travelers who wanted to know what to expect in Israel. The body maintained its view that it was entirely accurate to say that a visitor to Israel could visit Jerusalem as part of their short visit.

The State of Israel Ministry of Tourism went on to say that they believe that, had they omitted a reference to a visit to the city of Jerusalem, then it would have been incorrect and misleading to the public. Despite this, the Advertising Standards Authority upheld the complaints and said that the ad most not appear again in its current form.

The Advertising Standards Authority noted that the images of Jerusalem used in the ad featured the Western Wall of the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock. These are both in East Jerusalem, a part of the occupied territories of the West Bank.