Jerusalem is mistakenly and frequently mentioned in the British media as the capital of Israel. Under international law, neither the east nor west of the city is considered as such - Tel Aviv is, pending a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians.

During a three-month period (1 June - 31 August 2008), Arab Media Watch monitored and analysed the national daily British press (excluding the Financial Times and Daily Express) for mentions of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and from these results ascertained the frequency with which each city was identified as Israel's capital. The analysis revealed that when Israel's capital is mentioned, almost half the time it is referred to as Jerusalem.