Ofcom suspends online safety director over Instagram posts calling Israel 'vile'

An Ofcom director has been suspended over several social media posts about Israel calling the country "vile".

Fadzai Madzingira, director of online safety supervision at the media and communications watchdog, liked various posts on her private Instagram account sharing anti-Israel views amid the ongoing conflict. She took up her post last May and describes herself as a “Zimbabwean, a black feminist, a student of colonisation". She previously held a position of director of ethical and human use of technology at Salesforce.

Ms Madzingira liked posts from Black Lives Matter that stated Israel is a “vile colonial alliance” and navy ships in the Middle East are taking part in “ethnic cleansing and genocide of Palestinians”, reported Jewish News.

An Ofcom spokesperson told the Mirror: “Having reviewed these comments we've suspended this colleague, pending further investigation.”

Ofcom’s own code of practice makes it clear that extreme views on politically sensitive issues are not permitted. It states: "Comments which might be though to have an adverse impact on Ofcom‘s reputation (noting that all comments or posts on social media should be considered to be in the public domain), and comments on Ofcom policy, should be avoided.

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"So, should expressions of opinion on matters of political or public controversy which could be thought to compromise the Board’s reputation for impartiality on editorial or other decisions in the broadcasting sphere, or its objectivity in economic regulatory decision-making.”

In an Instagram story post from an account believed to belong to Ms Madzingira, she, reported the outlet Guido Fawkes, said: "My account has been chaotic for the last week bouncing between the *continued* targeting of Palestinians and dumb s***. Mostly because I could not process that we continue to act with surprise at what happens in an apartheid state and because I just feel like I'm donating and reposting and still going to life everyday?

"I used to ask my constitutional law teacher how genocides could have gone on for so long and maybe this is how... To see Jewish activists protest loudly that they or their loved ones survived Auschwitz so they *must* stand with Palestine. It just seems so clear to me. As a Zimbabwean, a Black feminist, a student of decolonisation and deep believer of liberty for all, I have, do and will only have one hope."

It comes during the crisis in the Middle East after Hamas militants entered Israel and carried out a slaughter of more than a thousand people on October 7. It led to retaliatory strikes from Israel and there are now thought to be more than 4,000 dead.