Save the Children suspends employee over ‘anti-Zionist’ TikTok post

Yasmin Ghaffar is a policy and public affairs adviser at Save the Children
Yasmin Ghaffar is a policy and public affairs adviser at Save the Children

Save the Children has suspended an employee who said she did not want to buy bagels from “Zionists”.

Yasmin Ghaffar, a policy and public affairs adviser at the charity, posted a video on her personal TikTok account asking for “anti-Zionist” bagel shop recommendations to avoid “giving my money to any genocidal maniacs”.

The charity, which received £93 million in donations last year, said it was “deeply sorry” for the remarks and has suspended Ms Ghaffar while it investigates.

In the video, she said: “Hi guys, so I’m going to New York next week, and I really want to go to the bagel shops, obviously.

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“But I don’t want to be giving my money to any genocidal maniacs, so does anybody have any recommendations on bagel shops that are either actively pro-Palestinian or are just known to not be in support of that hell-hole place and Zionism.

“So anti-Zionist bagel shops in New York, please.”

Bagels were brought to Britain by Jewish migrants from Eastern Europe in the 19th century.

‘Degrading of Western charities’

The remarks drew criticism, with Simon Sebag Montefiore, the historian, saying: “Its stupidity would be hilarious. Except it exposes the degrading of Western charities and NGOs.”

A spokesman for the Campaign against Antisemitism said: “The overwhelming majority of Jews identify as Zionists, and the term is often used as a synonym for Jewish people. We cannot allow this sort of hate to become normalised.”

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Russell Langer, director of public affairs at the Jewish Leadership Council said: “Sadly, it’s all too common to see this sort of behaviour within the charity sector, a sector which has been overtaken by the excesses of progressive activism.”

Ms Ghaffar previously worked in the office of Andrew Mitchell, the former Conservative minister, in 2020.

A spokesman for Save the Children said: “The language used in this TikTok is unacceptable and does not in any way reflect the views of Save the Children UK.

“We are deeply sorry for the offence caused. Our social media guidelines prohibit staff from posting any offensive content.

“This post came to the attention of Save the Children UK managers early on Sunday morning. The staff member took down the post as soon as they were asked to do so.

“An internal investigation has been instigated. The member of staff concerned has been placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.”