Plaid Cymru accuses Israel of genocide as party calls for boycott

Plaid Cymru members have called for a boycott of Israel over the war in Gaza.

The Welsh national party has declared Israel an “apartheid regime” guilty of “genocide, ethnic cleansing and war crimes” during its autumn conference in Cardiff on Saturday.

A motion put forward by the party’s four MPs called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador from the UK “until such time as the Israeli government ends its apartheid and illegal actions (in Gaza)”, and for the Government to ban arms sales to the country.

Israel began a military offensive in Gaza after about 1,200 Israeli people were killed by Hamas on October 7 last year.

More than 40,000 people have since been killed as part of the war, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Your role now is to continue reminding the UK Government of its own obligation under UK domestic law before international law

Proposing the motion – which was supported unanimously – Ben Lake, MP for Ceredigion Preseli, said the war urgently needed a political settlement, including recognition of a Palestinian state.

He said: “If we want to see a safer world, then international law needs to be respected.”

The motion states that members of Plaid believe there must be an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, for hostages to be freed and an end to the occupation of Palestine.

It calls for the UK to support the work of the International Criminal Court in investigating potential war crimes committed by Hamas and the Israeli government.

The motion also calls for all members of Plaid Cymru, as well as Welsh national sporting and cultural bodies, to support an “economic and cultural boycott” of Israel.

Ahead of a vote on the motion, the conference heard from Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian’s top envoy to the UK, who said Israel must be “compelled” to meet its international obligations.

Mr Zomlot said: “Your role now is to continue reminding the UK Government of its own obligation under UK domestic law before international law.

“These obligations are clear, there must be an immediate ceasefire that should lead to an end to Israel’s presence in occupied territory in one year.

“If Israel continues to reject the international will, and it will reject, as it has been rejecting, Israel must be compelled to comply.”

Mr Zomlot’s call for an arms embargo was met with applause from Plaid members.