Plaid Cymru has confirmed that two of its Senedd election candidates will remain on the ballot despite facing criticism over their social media posts about Israel. The party accused rival Reform UK of attempting to divert attention from its own campaign troubles by highlighting the controversial messages.
Vivek Thuppil, a former lecturer and Plaid candidate in Bangor Conwy Mon, described Israel as a "terrorist state" in posts on the Bluesky platform. In one comment from 10 months ago, he wrote: "The state of Israel is a terrorist state." In another, responding to reports of Israeli settlers assaulting a deaf Palestinian man, he labeled the incident "Israeli terrorism." Thuppil argued that support for Israel should be "legally proscribed like for any other terrorist entity."
Another candidate, Elin Hywel, who is on the party's list in Gwynedd Maldwyn and serves as a Gwynedd councillor, shared posts on X (formerly Twitter) in November 2024 that questioned Israel's right to exist. Archived messages show she shared content praising someone who "smacks down the 'Israel has a right to exist' talking point." She also shared a post criticizing UK politician Kemi Badenoch as part of "white supremacy's Black collaborator class."
Reform UK distributed these social media messages to journalists, condemning both individuals. In a statement, Reform said: "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 fired back, accusing Reform of "desperately deflecting from their shambolic campaign." A party spokesperson noted that Reform has seen four candidates withdraw in one week, including one who appeared to perform a Nazi salute in a photograph. The spokesperson stated: "This is a party mired in controversy, lacking judgement and unfit to represent the people of Wales."
When asked if Plaid agreed with Thuppil's characterization of Israel as a terrorist state, the party provided a nuanced response:
"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."
The spokesperson added that Plaid supports enforcement of International Criminal Court decisions and will continue supporting Jewish and Muslim communities in Wales to prevent international conflicts from fostering local intolerance.
Both Thuppil and Hywel declined to comment directly, referring inquiries to Plaid's public relations team. The party confirmed that both candidates will remain available for selection in the upcoming Senedd election.