YesCymru probe into allegation of ‘anti-Semitism’
THE pro-Welsh independence group YesCymru says it will investigate allegations of anti-Semitism involving its member Kerry-Anne Mendoza, who is editor-at-large of the left-wing web magazine The Canary.
Former Cardiff council leader Rodney Berman, the Liberal Democrats’ Senedd candidate for Cardiff Central, said YesCymru’s decision to admit Ms Mendoza to its ranks was “appalling” and brought into question the organisation’s values.
Ms Mendoza told the Western Mail the allegations were “baseless” and “part of of an ongoing right-wing smear campaign”.
The journalist joined YesCymru last autumn, shortly after moving to Wales from her home city of Bristol, and her account tweeted news of her membership to its 59,000 followers.
That tweet was welcomed by YesCymru, who labelled the journalist a “rock star” in a tweet which was liked numerous times by several vocal and high-profile YesCymru activists.
In August 2020, six weeks before her membership of YesCymru was accepted, Ms Mendoza’s account tweeted “Arbeit macht frei” in a message criticising Brexit, a phrase which translates as “Work sets you free” and is displayed above the gates at the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland where more than a million Jews were gassed to death during World War II.
Ms Mendoza, who has been strongly critical of the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians, has previously been suspended from Twitter after a tweet from her account which compared those attending the Jewish Labour Movement’s conference to “white supremacists”.
Mr Berman said: “The decision to admit and then publicly welcome this individual raises serious questions regarding the priorities and values of YesCymru and those in their hierarchy. Quite frankly, it’s appalling.
“Mendoza is not an ordinary member of the public – she’s a well-known and highly controversial figure and it goes without saying that YesCymru should know both of her and appalling views.
“YesCymru should immediately suspend her membership and apologise to members of the Jewish faith in Wales and all those who want to live in an open and tolerant Wales.”
YesCymru chair Sion Jobbins said: “YesCymru is an organisation which embraces the fact that all who choose to make Wales their home – regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation – are full citizens of the new Wales we wish to build. This is a central part of our constitution adopted by members at our last AGM, and as such we take very seriously any accusation of discriminatory behaviour.
“Around 10,000 new members joined YesCymru in October 2020 in a great surge of support for independence, and at the time we tried to make them all feel welcome by replying to tweets from new members welcoming them.
“We were unaware at the time of any issues regarding this new member, and we thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We will be discussing the matter as a committee in conjunction with our new diversity and inclusion lead officer who will be starting working for us on Monday, and will then decide on the appropriate course of action.
“Our nearly 20,000 members represent all faiths and communities of Wales and our vision is of a future Wales where everyone feels valued and respected. There is no room for any kind of discrimination in YesCymru or in the new Wales we wish to build, and that is a message that we want to make very clear.”
Ms Mendoza said: “The Canary is the most diverse newsroom in Britain. Two of our co-founders are Jewish and we fight daily for a country where people are treated with respect and equality. The people making these baseless allegations are the opposite.
“This is part of an ongoing rightwing smear campaign against those of us who want something better than the status quo. They routinely attack people of colour and socialist Jews, while pretending to be anti-racists. It’s the most morally and intellectually dishonest smear campaign of my lifetime. Feeling they achieved a win against the left in England, they’re bringing this nonsense across the bridge to attack the independence movement.
“No anti-racist would weaponise Jewish trauma to score cheap political points. That’s what these people are doing.
“It’s beneath contempt.”