Plaid Cymru Retains Candidate Amid Controversy Over Israel Comments
Plaid Cymru has confirmed that a university lecturer who described Israel as a "terrorist state" on social media will remain a candidate for the upcoming Senedd election.
Vivek Thuppil, ranked number six on Plaid's list for the Bangor Conwy Mon region, made posts on Bluesky stating that Israel should be proscribed similarly to a terrorist organisation.
The party also supports Elin Hywel, who is number five on the party's list in Gwynedd Maldwyn. Archived social media messages reveal that she shared content on X suggesting that Israel does not have a right to exist.
Plaid Cymru accused the Reform party, which circulated these messages to journalists and criticised both individuals, of "desperately deflecting from their shambolic campaign."
Israel has consistently maintained that its military actions in Gaza and surrounding areas are necessary to eliminate Hamas and other militant groups that threaten its security.
Neither Thuppil nor Hywel holds a winnable position on their respective Plaid lists; however, they could potentially serve as backup members should vacancies arise among Plaid MSs following the election.
The developments come amid turmoil within Reform, where three candidates appointed in one constituency resigned, including a man photographed appearing to perform a Nazi salute, who was considered the most likely to be elected.
Reform has distributed links to the social media posts of the two Plaid candidates to the media.
Ten months ago on Bluesky, Thuppil responded to a story quoting Gaza officials who said Israel had killed civilians waiting at food distribution points, stating:
"The state of Israel is a terrorist state".
In another post, referencing a news report about masked Israeli settlers assaulting a deaf Palestinian man, the Bangor University lecturer described the incident as "Israeli terrorism." He further stated:
"Israel is a terrorist state. Any support for Israel should be legally proscribed like for any other terrorist entity."
An archived version of Elin Hywel's former X account shows she shared a post expressing admiration for someone who "smacks down the 'Israel has a right to exist' talking point."
Another shared post, preserved by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, showed Hywel sharing a message that labelled Kemi Badenoch as "the most prominent member of white supremacy's Black collaborator class." Both posts date from November 2024, according to the archive.
Regarding Hywel, a Gwynedd councillor, Reform stated:
"These quotes are not some misguided musings of a teenager, but are the sincerely held beliefs of someone who should know better. This raises significant questions for Plaid Cymru about their attitudes towards Israel, but most importantly their attitude towards Wales and its people."
Plaid Cymru Responds to Criticism
The party has confirmed that both candidates will remain on the ballot.
A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said:
"Reform are desperately deflecting from their shambolic campaign, which has seen four candidates drop out in one week - including one candidate who appeared in an image where they appeared to show a Nazi salute. This is a party mired in controversy, lacking judgement and unfit to represent the people of Wales."
When asked whether Plaid agrees with the characterization of Israel as a terrorist state, a party spokesperson stated:
"Plaid Cymru has consistently called for peace in the Middle East. The actions of the Israeli state against the Palestinian people have caused immense human suffering and we believe those responsible for war crimes - including acts that amount to genocide - must be held fully accountable under international law. Plaid Cymru will also continue to demand that the UK government enforces all decisions made by the International Criminal Court, including acting on any arrest warrants it issues. We will continue to offer our support to Jewish and Muslim communities here in Wales to ensure that the actions of governments elsewhere do not encourage intolerance or undermine harmony between communities here."
When approached for comment, Thuppil referred inquiries to Plaid's public relations team. Elin Hywel was also contacted for comment.
