Welsh party criticised for ‘deplorable’ decision not to expel activist
Board of Deputies bemoaned Plaid Cymru's 'deeply regrettable' lack of action against Sahar al-Faifi, after she pushed 'conspiratorial antisemitic rhetoric'
Jewish leaders have accused the Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru of a “deplorable and deeply regrettable” decision not to kick an activist out after she linked US police violence with Israel.
The furore yet again centred on Sahar al-Faifi, who was suspended last year before being readmitted in January. At the time she apologised for propagating Rothschild conspiracy theories and blaming Jews for the June 2017 London Bridge terror attack.
Yet after she pushed “conspiratorial antisemitic rhetoric” in June this year, the Board of Deputies and Welsh Jewish groups have called for her to be expelled – action party bosses now appear unwilling to take.
Representatives vented their frustration after a meeting with Plaid Cymru chair Alun Ffred Jones and chief executive Gareth Chubb last week.
In a damning indictment, the party’s hierarchy was accused of “sending a message to the Jewish community… that it is acceptable to have someone who shares antisemitic conspiracy theories within the party”.
In their letter, Board senior vice president Sheila Gewolb and Laurence Kahn, the chair of the South Wales Jewish Representative Council, said: “It is totally deplorable that there has been no sanction.”
They added that Plaid Cymru “needs to think again and urgently review the decision relating to Sahar Al-Faifi, which suggests that the party either does not understand antisemitism, or simply does not care about it”.
The lack of censure means that she is free to continue to seek the nomination for Plaid Cymru for the Senedd constituency of Cardiff North, which has the greatest number of Jews in Wales, something the Board said “only adds to the offence”.
Back in June, Gewolb said al-Faifi had taken her readmission “as a signal that she has carte blanche to continue to promote such conspiracy theories, such as the claim that the American police officers responsible for the deaths of African Americans were trained by Israel”.
Al-Faifi’s tweet followed the killing by white police officers of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in a busy daytime street. The incident was captured on video and circulated, prompting a summer of race riots across the country.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
