The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland on Thursday upheld a complaint against broadcaster Vincent Browne for calling Israel “the cancer in foreign affairs” on his late-night October TV3 show.

At the time, Browne alleged that Israel “polarizes the Islamic community of the world against the rest of the world” and that the creation of Israel was “a massive injustice — they stole the land from the Arabs.”

While the broadcasting company said the topic was a “legitimate subject” for discussion, it described Browne’s remarks as being “without apparent context or relevance.”

The company added that the broadcast did not meet its standard of “fair, objective and impartial” reporting.

Defending his remarks shortly after the show, Browne said that by calling Israel a cancer, “I didn’t mean it should be eliminated. It was an infelicitous use of the word.”

“The reality is the Israeli state was founded by confiscation of land previously occupied by Arabs. That injustice is at the centre of the conflict,” he said.

“I’m not anti-Semitic and will not be blackmailed,” Browne maintained.