Jewish group attacks Plaid's Israel boycott call

Plaid Cymru's telephone to boycott Israel astatine its enactment league has been criticised by a Welsh Jewish group.

The South Wales Jewish Representative Council (SWJRC) said it was "deeply disappointed" by the determination and pointed retired the day coincided with Yom Kippur, the holiest time successful the Jewish calendar.

Laurence Kahn, seat of the SWJRC, accused Plaid Cymru of lending justification to the 7 October attacks which were carried retired by Hamas, the equipped Palestinian radical based successful Gaza.

Plaid Cymru said it had been "resolute and unequivocal successful condemning the horrific attacks carried retired by Hamas connected 7 October".

A question backed astatine Plaid's league by the party's 4 MPs and passed by enactment members described Israel arsenic an "apartheid state" and accused it of "ethnic cleansing and warfare crimes".

The league heard from the Palestinians' apical envoy to the UK, Husam Zomlot, who called for Wales to unit the UK authorities implicit Gaza.

About 1,200 radical - mostly Israeli civilians - were killed successful the Hamas 7 October attacks conscionable implicit 1 twelvemonth ago.

Hamas, which is proscribed arsenic a violent organisation by galore Western governments, including the UK, besides took 251 hostages, of which 97 stay unaccounted for.

Some 42,000 radical person been killed arsenic portion of Israel's retaliatory violative successful Gaza, according to the Hamas-run wellness ministry.

Yom Kippur took spot from the evening of Friday, 11 October to Saturday. The ballot connected the question was held connected Saturday, the 2nd time of the conference.

The SWJRC said successful a statement: "We are profoundly disturbed by Plaid Cymru’s determination to telephone for a boycott of Israel on Yom Kippur, the holiest time connected the Jewish calendar".

Describing the Hamas attacks connected Israel connected 7 October arsenic the "worst atrocities committed against Jews since the Holocaust", the assembly 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 connected and aft 7 October. This mendacious equivalency is not lone unjust but dangerously misleading."

The assembly accused Plaid of "pandering to utmost positions that not lone alienate the Jewish assemblage but besides undermine the pursuit of genuine peace".

A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said successful response: “Plaid Cymru has been resolute and unequivocal successful condemning the horrific attacks carried retired by Hamas connected 7 October.

“We person besides been wide that the effect of the Israeli authorities has been disproportionate and unjustified, resulting successful the deaths of tens of thousands of guiltless civilians successful Gaza. We person consistently argued that planetary instrumentality indispensable beryllium upheld without fearfulness oregon favour."

The spokesperson added: “Plaid Cymru, arsenic it ever has done, volition proceed to marque the lawsuit for an contiguous ceasefire, a merchandise of each hostages without delay, for halting arms sales, an extremity to hostilities by each parties, and for the intensification of diplomatic efforts to question a unchangeable and lasting bid for each the radical of Israel and Palestine and the wider region," the spokesperson added.