The press watchdog, Ipso, has ruled that publications are entitled to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide despite there being no such legal ruling and the risk of the term fuelling antisemitism. The Telegraph has the story.

The Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) rejected a complaint from a member of the public about the term being used as a statement of fact in a newspaper article.

Ipso said it was “not in a position to adjudicate on the actions of Israel”, even though the UK Government had been clear that genocide was not being committed.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism described the Ipso ruling as “laughable”.

Jewish groups have repeatedly complained about the use of the word “genocide” in connection with the war in Gaza, saying it is not only inaccurate and offensive but also fuels antisemitism and insults the memory of those who died in the Holocaust.

A complaint was made against the Scottish newspaper the National, which ran a story in October last year headlined: ’27 UK MPs visited Israel during Gaza genocide – see the full list.’

The complainant said it was inaccurate to report that a genocide had been perpetrated by Israel, which was stated as a fact in the headline. The only legal body mandated to make such a finding was the International Court of Justice, which had made no such ruling.

However, Ipso decided the article was inaccurate only because 28 MPs, not 27, had visited Israel during the period in question.

On the use of the term genocide, Ipso’s complaints committee ruled: “The committee noted that, at the time it considered the complaint, the International Court of Justice was in the process of considering allegations of genocide brought against Israel…

“The committee was not in a position to adjudicate on the actions of Israel – this included determining whether or not Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. Absent a legal ruling to this effect, the committee was not in a position to determine whether the article was inaccurate, misleading or distorted on this point.”

A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This decision is laughable. Ipso has taken enormous care over a single mistaken digit, but expresses no opinion on whether an accusation as substantial as genocide needs to be grounded in fact.

“Do people still not understand that repeatedly asserting that the Jewish state has committed genocide – when no independent and competent judicial body has made such a determination – contributes to the environment of hostility towards Jewish people?

“Ipso joins other regulators up and down the country who have failed to grasp what is going on in Britain today and are failing to live up to the Prime Minister’s exhortation that everyone urgently recognise their responsibility to do their part to confront the causes of antisemitism.”

The ICJ was first asked to rule on whether Israel was guilty of genocide in December 2023. Various countries have made written interventions in the years since, and a final ruling is yet to be made.

Worth reading in full.