University College London has apologised to the Zionist Federation for cancelling an Israeli Independence Day celebration at the Bloomsbury theatre because the poster featured members of the IDF in uniform.

The Bloomsbury Theatre, owned by UCL, cancelled one of the ZF's two Israel independence day events in April this year because publicity pictures included performers from the IDF entertainment troupe in uniform.

UCL has now issued a statement in which it admitted that "the Bloomsbury Theatre was not contractually entitled to cancel the Zionist Federation event scheduled for Tuesday 28 April 2009"

UCL has apologised to the ZF and agreed to give an undisclosed donation.

A ZF spokesman said: "The ZF will always be robust in opposing attempts at censorship and thanks UCL for its preparedness to settle in this case."

The controversial poster showed the entertainers in army uniform but was later redesigned to advertise “young musical talent from Israel”, with pictures of the performers in civilian clothes.

But the theatre claimed the use of the original picture constituted a breach of contract, which specified the event was a cultural, not a political event.

The decision to cancel the show followed complaints from anti-Israel groups about the performance, which was due to be part of the Israel 61 Family Show.

The performance eventually took place at Arts Depot, Finchley