Bea Foster tells MEE she was left 'heartbroken' after being forced out of anti-racism charity [that she helped to found] over Facebook post in which she called Israel an 'apartheid state' ... "APARTHEID – IT WASN'T OKAY IN SOUTH AFRICA. IT WASN'T OKAY IN NAZI GERMANY. WHY IS IT OKAY IN PALESTINE?"

Building Bridges Burnley (BBB), an interfaith anti-racist organisation she helped found more than 20 years ago, which was awarded the King's Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) in November 2024.

Methodist preacher Bea Foster helped to found the anti-racism charity she was forced to leave- The case stems from an article published by the Jewish Chronicle newspaper in February 2025 alleging links between BBB and antisemitism which referenced Foster's involvement in protests calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and a social media post in 2023 which read: "APARTHEID – IT WASN'T OKAY IN SOUTH AFRICA. IT WASN'T OKAY IN NAZI GERMANY. WHY IS IT OKAY IN PALESTINE?"

Preacher launches legal challenge against UK government over IHRA antisemitism definition

Areeb Ullah

Published date: 9 July 2026

An elderly Methodist preacher is set to launch the first legal challenge to the UK government's use of a contested definition of antisemitism after ministers used it to force a charity to remove her as a trustee over a Facebook post in which she described Israel as an apartheid state.

Bea Foster, a 76-year-old community worker from Burnley, Lancashire, will argue that the government unlawfully penalised her for expressing political views on Israel and Palestine, breaching her rights to freedom of expression, freedom of association and protection from discrimination.

Speaking exclusively to Middle East Eye, Foster said her motivation to pursue the case stemmed from the misuse of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of antisemitism by public and private institutions to shut down criticism of Israeli government policies. 

"The IHRA definition is proved to be used to undermine our ability to hold Israel accountable for its actions against the Palestinian people," Foster told MEE.

"Criticising the Israeli government is not saying you are antisemitic." ... READ MORE  https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/methodist-preacher-launches-legal-challenge-against-uk-governments-use-ihra-antisemitism

  [AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes or watch videos) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]