Hat tip to Richard Millett and a really telling blog post “Note to ASA: “Palestine” does not officially exist”.

The ASA in question is the UK Advertising Standards Authority.

The advert in question is this:

As Richard points out:

A few months ago, after one complaint, the Advertising Standards Authority banned the Israeli Tourist Office from advertising Israel’s most precious site, The Western Wall in Jerusalem, in adverts for Israel.

He also points out that this advertisement is yet another example of how Palestinians airbrush Israel off the map.

“Palestine lies between the Mediterranean Coast and the Jordan River” is a complete denial of the Jewish state’s existence. This echoes the racist chant of “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free” sung by anti-Israel activists.

But his most devastating point is this:

It is only right and proper to complain to the ASA that the advert fails to mention such a “brutal occupation” seeing that it is referred to time and again by such eminent organisations as the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Middle East Monitor and Muslim Public Affairs Committee etc.

Surely, these organisations wouldn’t be lying about the true state of affairs, would they?

Brilliant. All these organisations take so much time and produce so much propaganda to tell us how bad things are in the West Bank and Gaza and when it suits them they tell us how wonderful it all is.

The Palestinian Tourist Board has removed Israel from the map by force of collective will. Who needs Iran’s nuclear weapons? Just un-imagine Israel and it’s gone – poofh!

Well, not quite. To give their website some credit it does say this:

Palestine comprises the West Bank and the Gaza Strip on the Eastern Mediterranean Coast.

Almost right. There is no country called Palestine, however.

At www.travelpalestine.ps, although you can see an Islamic and Christian tour, they don’t offer Jewish sites of interest. Strange that.

Do read all of Richard’s blog post.

Update: Daphne Anson has her usually erudite analysis of this at http://daphneanson.blogspot.com/2011/01/travellers-tall-tale-palestine-lies.html