Plaid probe after antisemitic claim
PLAID Cymru has launched an investigation after a leading Jewish organisation accused one of their candidates of antisemitism.
Senior vice-president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Sheila Gewolb, has called for Sahar Al-Faifi to be excluded from Plaid Cymru permanently following a tweet which appeared on her account and has since been deleted.
In a post on Twitter Ms Al-Faifi, Plaid Cymru’s candidate for Cardiff Central in the 2021 Senedd election, wrote: “If you wonder where did these American cops trained, look no further than Israel. Oppression is one and the struggle is transitional. We stand with Palestinians and with #GeorgeFloyd #BlackLivesMatter.”
She has subsequently deleted posts she made on social media.
In a letter to Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price, Sheila Gewolb wrote: “Some US police officers have received anti-terror training in Israel, as they have from many different countries – law enforcement agencies across the world co-operate with each other.
“There is not now, nor has there ever been, any evidence to suggest that Israel instructed US police officers in the techniques they have used against African Americans or that any of the officers involved in such attacks received Israeli training.
“The attempt to blame Israel for terrible situations in other countries is regarded by many in the Jewish community as antisemitic, stemming as it does from a long and ignominious history of blaming Jews for any and all misfortunes.”
She added: “We would urge you, as the leader of Plaid Cymru, to show that you are serious about antisemitism and Ms Al-Faifi in particular by permanently excluding her from the party. She has had too many chances already and it is clear that she will not change. By allowing her to again get away with it, Plaid Cymru would be sending a very negative message to the UK’s Jewish community.”
Sahar Al-Faifi said in a statement: “My tweet on June 1, 2020, was based on [an] Amnesty USA report from 2016 titled: ‘Where do many police departments train? In Israel.’
“Amnesty made a clarification, four years after the report, on 25th of June 2020, stating that the Israeli state is one of the countries where American policemen trained. Subsequently, my tweet was deleted. I understand the fear of [the] Jewish community and I would like to assure them that I stand firmly with them against antisemitism as I am committed to work with them for more just, welcoming and inclusive Wales for all.”
Ms Al-Faifi had previously been suspended from the party after a number of antisemitic social media posts of hers from 2014 were found. However, she was later reinstated.
Speaking at the time she said: “Several years ago I made a handful of social media posts that I regret deeply as they crossed the boundary of criticism of Israel into antisemitism.
“I deleted the tweets more than five years ago, and issued an apology to
Jewish organisations and others.
“I have also undertaken antisemitism training, both formally through the Board of Deputies and informally with Jewish colleagues in order to ensure I never repeat the same mistakes.”
When approached by the Echo, Plaid Cymru would not respond to whether Ms Al-Faifi was still a candidate. A Plaid Cymru spokeswoman said: “Plaid Cymru is investigating a social media post. The party is committed to challenging all forms of discrimination.”
Last week Labour’s shadow cabinet member Rebecca Long-Bailey was fired by Sir Keir Starmer after sharing an article containing the same allegations Ms Al-Faifi made.
Labour MS Hefin David said that Plaid leader Adam Price had been
“slow to react” to the issue.
“To connect Israel with George Floyd’s murder and the wider Black Lives Matter movement requires a leap of imagination that most people would not take. Therein lies the antisemitism and it is extraordinary that this needs to be explained. This ignorance is being tackled robustly by the leader of the Labour Party. The Plaid Cymru leadership and Adam Price in particular has been slow to react to these issues and he needs to do so immediately.”
This incident comes a week after leading BAME people in Wales criticised Adam Price for a “classic non apology” after he wrongly likened Wales’ experience to the life of the 19th and 20th century victims of colonialism and slavery.