Deputy Lord Mayor of Cardiff claims Hamas fires ‘toy rockets’
The Deputy Lord Mayor of Cardiff has resisted calls to resign after he was filmed telling a rally that Hamas had only fired “toy rockets”.
Ali Ahmed, a city Labour councillor, provoked “outrage” from the Jewish community after speaking in “a personal capacity” during an anti-NATO demonstration in Newport on 30 August, during which he launched into a tirade against the US, UK and Israel.
“We all know what’s happening in Iraq, Gaza, Ukraine, Syria and Palestine,” he said.
“Who created all this?
It’s us, America, Mr Cameron…
Who created Bin Laden? America.
Who created ISIS? America.”
On Israel, Ahmed said Jerusalem had “decided what they wanted to do in Gaza, in Palestine …
the Palestinians defended against Israel with rockets… they’re toy rockets”.
He continued: “The Israelis are firing arms and weapons made in UK and USA…”
Cardiff businessman Philip Kaye, who is also Israel’s Honourary Consul in Wales, said: “To refer to the rockets launched against Israel as ‘toy rockets’ is appalling.
One of them killed a four-year-old.”
You can watch a clip of Ali Ahmed’s speech here:
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