Call to expel of activist from Welsh party over claim Israel hacking her emails
Board of Deputies says Sahar al-Faifi should be kicked out of Plaid Cymru, and its failure to take action will show the party's antisemitism review to be a 'sham'
An activist for Welsh nationalists Plaid Cymru, previously suspended for antisemitism, has accused Israel of hacking her emails.
The furore yet again centred on Sahar al-Faifi, who was suspended in 2019 over posts referencing the Rothschild family which she admitted were antisemitic. After being readmitted in January 2020, she caused further controversy in October 2020, when she claimed, falsely, that American police are trained in Israel,
Jewish community leaders criticised Plaid on both occasions for not expelling her, while the party has launched a review of its handling of antisemitism cases.
This week, al-Faifi, took to social media to say she “received this warning from Google that government-backed attackers tried stealing my passwords! The harassment of the Saudi and Israeli governments will never stop my work for civil rights, equality and freedom (God Willing)”
“The Saudi and the Israeli governments have attempted to hack other activists’ accounts before me, using the Israeli spyware Pegasus. The Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and Omar Abdulaziz are examples.”
Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl said: “After Plaid Cymru let her off twice before, it was inevitable that Sahar Al-Faifi would spread baseless conspiracy theories concerning Israel, tapping into old antisemitic tropes.
“The party is currently reviewing its policies for dealing with antisemitism. The review asks, among other things, how they can rebuild trust with the Jewish community. If Al-Faifi isn’t expelled this time, then any review will be seen by the Jewish community as a sham. Plaid Cymru will have sent a clear message that those who indulge in antisemitism are welcome, and Jews are not.”
A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said it “takes the issue of antisemitism very seriously. Plaid Cymru have a proud and longstanding record of fighting prejudice and discrimination. Antisemitism must never be tolerated and should always be confronted whenever and wherever is arises.
“Liz Saville Roberts MP is undertaking an anti-Semitism review for the party, bringing to bear her experience as the deputy chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on antisemitism. Plaid Cymru is committed to ensuring that its culture, structures, and processes fulfil a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism.”
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