Complaint about British Association of Social Workers (BASW) podcast October 2021

The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) published a podcast in October 2021 that smears campaigners for Palestinian rights, and seeks to confuse criticism of apartheid Israel with anti-Semitism. A number of BASW members complained to BASW about this podcast, and BASW have refused to remove it from the public domain. The UK-Palestine Mental Health Network is appalled that a professional association representing British social workers has produced such a podcast and we support the BASW members in their wish to now make their criticisms public. BASW’s Code of Ethics proclaim it to be a promoter of human rights. However, just at the moment when the international human rights community establishes a consensus regarding Israel’s apartheid status, BASW steps in to discourage solidarity with the Palestinian cause.