Plaid Cymru’s Israel boycott call criticised by Jewish group

The SWJRC said in a statement: “We are deeply disturbed by Plaid Cymru’s decision to call for a boycott of Israel on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar”.

Describing the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October as the “worst atrocities committed against Jews since the Holocaust”, the council accused Plaid of lending “justification to these heinous acts of terror”.

“Despite Plaid Cymru’s accusations of genocide, it was Hamas – not Israel – that deliberately targeted civilians on and after 7 October. This false equivalency is not only unjust but dangerously misleading.”

The council accused Plaid of “pandering to extreme positions that not only alienate the Jewish community but also undermine the pursuit of genuine peace”.

A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said in response: “We have also been clear that the response of the Israeli state has been disproportionate and unjustified, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent civilians in Gaza. We have consistently argued that international law must be upheld without fear or favour.”

The spokesperson added: “As a party with a long and proud tradition of promoting peace, we are appalled at the suggestion that we encourage violence in any form and are deeply disappointed by this accusation.

“Plaid Cymru, as it always has done, will continue to make the case for an immediate ceasefire, a release of all hostages without delay, for halting arms sales, an end to hostilities by all parties, and for the intensification of diplomatic efforts to seek a stable and lasting peace for all the people of Israel and Palestine and the wider region.”