Citizen’s Advice training library included claim Israel ‘pinkwashes apartheid’

The Citizen’s Advice Bureau has altered training materials sent to staff which had alleged Israel uses its LGBT record to mask “apartheid.”

The diversity training for staff at the charity, which has been estimated to receive around 60 percent of funding from the taxpayer, had included a link to a definition of ‘pinkwashing’ among other key terms.

The website in the “optional library” of resources alleged: “Perhaps the most noted example of pinkwashing is Israel’s public relations campaign to promote itself as the “gay mecca” of the Middle East.”

This campaign is “as an attempt to mask and legitimize Israel’s human rights abuses against Palestinians, regardless of sexuality,” states the site.

“Queer Palestinians are not spared when Palestinians are bombed en masse, nor are they given a free pass out of Gaza. They are not exempt from marginalization under Israeli apartheid,” it adds.

“Palestine’s queers suffer the violences of settler colonialism and occupation alongside homophobia and transphobia.”

A spokesperson for the service claimed an updated version of the online resources was updated on Friday. The anti-Israel ‘pinkwashing’ claim was then reported by the Sunday Telegraph. 

A spokesperson told Jewish News the article had been contained in an “optional” library alongside its staff training materials.

“Following a recent review, an article on ‘pinkwashing’ which included references to Israel was removed,” the spokesperson said. 

“This was based on the decision that content within the article detracted from its core aim of furthering an understanding of LGBTQ+ issues.”