Welsh Parliament boss refuses to fly Israeli flag

A request to fly the Israeli flag outside the Welsh Parliament has been refused by its presiding officer.

Elin Jones, who is a Plaid Cymru politician, said she did not think it should be flown while both Israelis and Palestinians are suffering.

Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies, who had asked for the flag, said he was "extremely disappointed".

The Senedd is dimming its lights as a mark of respect until the end of the week.

Ms Jones said the "brutality inflicted on the people of Israel by Hamas" was "abhorrent" but said peace was the only real solution.

The Welsh Parliament has flown the flag of Ukraine since Russia's invasion of the country in February 2022, and has lit up the building in the flag's colours at night.

Senedd party leaders called for peace in speeches in the Welsh Parliament on Tuesday.

The UK government has asked that its own buildings to fly an Israeli flag until Friday, if they are able to do so.

The comments from the presiding officer, who is in charge of the parliament's day-to-day business, followed an exchange of correspondence between herself and Mr Davies.

Mr Davies initially requested on Monday that the building was lit up in blue and white, after which Ms Jones decided to dim the Senedd's lights at night.

She said she took the decision "to reflect the sentiment that such attacks represent another dark moment for humanity in the middle East and is a source of great sorrow for a democratic institution such as ours".

Mr Davies wrote another letter on Wednesday, saying "public buildings in the UK and across the world are flying the Israeli flag in a gesture of solidarity" and requested the Senedd did likewise.

"Flying the Israeli flag outside the Senedd would send a strong message that we all stand against terrorism and the atrocities that we have seen," he said.

The Plaid Senedd member for Ceredigion replied: "As you and the other party Leaders remarked in a series of thoughtful contributions at the start of yesterday's plenary proceedings, the brutality inflicted on the people of Israel by Hamas is abhorrent and unjustifiable.

"All statements also reflected on the plight of the Palestinian population suffering as a consequence of this violence, as well as a common desire across the Siambr for peace as the only real solution.

"Despite the horror of the escalation of attacks and killing in recent days affecting Israeli and Palestinian citizens, this conflict, as we know, is longstanding and complex.

"I do not consider that the Israeli flag should be flown at the Senedd when people in both Palestine and Israel are now suffering."

She added the "Senedd will remain unlit as a mark of respect for all those who are bereaved and in danger in the Middle East".

Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr Davies said he was "extremely disappointed the Senedd presiding officer" had taken the decision.

"Let's be clear: this was an unprovoked terrorist attack by Hamas on the Israeli people."