Bea Foster told Middle East Eye she was „heartbroken” after being forced to leave the anti-racism charity she founded over a Facebook post in which she called Israel an „apartheid state”.
A senior Methodist minister is preparing the first legal challenge to the British government over its use of a controversial definition of anti-Semitism, which ministers used to force a charity to remove him from its board of trustees over a Facebook post in which Foster called Israel an apartheid state.
Bea Foster, a 76-year-old community worker from Burnley, Lancashire, will argue that the government unlawfully punished her for her political views on Israel and Palestine, violating her rights to freedom of expression, freedom of association and protection from discrimination.
A Middle East EyeIn an exclusive interview with , Foster said that his motivation is that the International Holocaust Remembrance Association's (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism is being used by public institutions and private organizations as a tool to silence criticism of the Israeli government's policies.
„The IHRA definition is demonstrably being used to undermine our ability to hold Israel accountable for its actions against the Palestinian people,” Foster said. „Criticizing the Israeli government does not make one anti-Semitic.”
The IHRA definition, adopted in 2016, includes illustrative examples to help identify practical manifestations of anti-Semitism. Although it has been adopted by governments around the world as a practical tool, critics say the definition equates criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism.
Foster's case is Building Bridges Burnley (BBB), an interfaith anti-racism organisation he founded more than 20 years ago, which was awarded the Royal Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) in November 2024. However, a few months later, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) told the organisation that if Foster and another curator did not resign over allegations of anti-Semitism, the organisation could lose the prestigious award.
The case is European Legal Support Centre leads, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign Ryvka Barnard, deputy campaign director, said the government’s „discriminatory action against Bea Foster is a clear example of how the IHRA definition is being used to punish those who stand up for Palestinian rights. If Bea wins her case, it could set a positive precedent to demonstrate that the IHRA definition itself is unfit for purpose and should not be used again.”
In the lawsuit, Foster's legal team is suing Culture Minister Lisa Nandy, citing the Human Rights Act 1998.
Facebook post, government investigation
The case is a February 2025 Jewish Chronicle-article that accused BBB of anti-Semitism, citing Foster's participation in Palestinian protests and a 2023 social media post: „APARTHEID – IT WAS NOT OK IN SOUTH AFRICA. IT WAS NOT OK IN NAZI GERMANY. WHY IS IT OK IN PALESTINE?”
Foster said he was never notified of the investigation and was not given a chance to respond. After he resigned to save the organization from having its award revoked, the department banned him from all association with the BBB for three years in March 2025. The department later said the post was considered anti-Semitic because, according to one example from the IHRA, a comparison to Nazi Germany was considered anti-Semitic.
Foster's lawyers say the post is a political expression protected by the European Convention on Human Rights, and that criticism of Israeli policies - including the use of the term apartheid - cannot be considered anti-Semitism.
„"Work is my part"”
Foster, a longtime activist in Palestine solidarity, said his removal from the organization broke his heart. „I gave 20 years of my life. Work is part of me, part of my DNA. It’s about justice, equality and human dignity.”
His views were formed during his first trip to the region after retirement. „I went on a religious pilgrimage, following in the footsteps of Jesus, and there I was confronted with the extent of injustice and oppression that afflicts the Palestinian people. When I shared the post about apartheid, it reflected what I had seen with my own eyes at every level of Palestinian society. The lives of Palestinians are limited in every way. I shared it because it was the truth for me.”
He stressed that he doesn't mind speaking out. "Whatever happened to me is nothing compared to what they go through every single day."„
„"I want to clear my name"”
Foster now hopes that the legal process will restore his good name. "There are two things that are important. First, I want to clear my name. It's incredibly difficult to live with the stigma of anti-Semitism. I know it's not true, but knowing that other people might think that about me is very painful."„
He also hopes the case will contribute to a broader conversation about Israeli-Palestinian justice and peace. „I’ve spoken to Palestinians, Jews, Bedouins, and infidels – they all want to live in peace. Palestinians simply want what you and I have: freedom to move, to make decisions, to learn, to work. Ultimately, I want peace in a land where everyone has equal rights. But before peace, there must be justice.”
Written by Areeb Ullah
