Council Approves Palestinian Friendship Link – But No Funding
HUGH SULLIVAN
After an impassioned debate on 16 July at which a large number of councillors spoke, Hastings Borough Council approved a resolution to recognise and support the friendship link between the town and the Gazan district of Al-Mawasi. The resolution called for a ceasefire and return of all hostages, and urged the Prime Minister to immediately cease all arms sales and military support to the state of Israel, while backing UN-supported delivery of humanitarian aid and reconstruction assistance.
Friends of Al-Mawasi pictured outside Muriel Matters House before council debate
The friendship link is to include working with the existing group Hastings Friends of Al-Mawasi, (see adjacent columns), to organise exchange trips (when feasible) and other forms of contact. It was noted explicitly, however, that the link will have “no budgetary implications” for the Council – “activities will be self-funded and organised by participants.”
The debate was the first held in the council chamber on a motion concerning Gaza despite previous attempts by councillors representing the Greens and the Independent (ex-Labour) group to table one. On these past occasions the topic is believed to have been blocked from appearing on the agenda by a combination of council officers (chief legal officer and/or CEO) and mayor (successive Labour party incumbents Cllrs Margi O’Callaghan and Judy Rogers), who deemed it beyond the council’s constitutional remit. However, Green leader Glenn Haffenden now has a Green mayor Becca Horn to endorse agenda items promoted by their party.
‘NO DUE DILIGENCE’
This time round, Labour leader Cllr Helen Kay continued to maintain that the council should confine itself to addressing matters of local, regional or national policy, that the debate would serve to “create further tensions” between communities of Hastings, and that it risked bringing the council into disrepute. She argued that there was no realistic mechanism for the council to exercise due diligence in guaranteeing that no funds, resources or communications would be “misused”. It might result in individual councillors “inadvertently supporting [Hamas], a proscribed organisation”.
A number of Conservative and Labour councillors went on to criticise the motion for its lack of even-handedness. Cllr Paul Foster wondered why no community in Israel was being offered equal terms. Cllr Marlow-Eastwood suggested that any support should be offered through the UN and the Red Cross.
Cllr Tony Collins (Green) said that he had indeed previously asked the Jewish community in Hastings to propose a community in Israel to twin with, and that no response was forthcoming. Nevertheless, he broke ranks with his party colleagues by concluding that, given that the Israeli assault was matched by an ideological mission of Hamas “to wipe out Jews from Israel”, he couldn’t find it in himself “to prefer one side over the other”.
‘NOT DIVISIVE’
Other Greens and Independents argued passionately in favour of the motion. Former leader Julia Hilton argued that its impulse was for dialogue and contact – it was not divisive. She compared it to the friendship link previously created with Sierra Leone that arose out of the civil war there. Cllr Simon Willis, who seconded the motion, brought warmest applause from a crowded public gallery by referring to his Jewish ancestry: in sympathising with the victims of genocide in Gaza, he said he stood “by the memory of my ancestors”.
Closing the debate, Mayor Horn thanked the public “for so politely and respectfully listening and watching the debate, and allowing the councillors to have their say”.
In the vote which followed, all Greens except Cllr Collins, and all Independents, approved the motion. All Labour party councillors abstained. Three Conservatives voted against; two abstained.
Katy Colley, representing the PSC, was asked subsequently how practical benefits to the population of Al-Mawasi will be enhanced by the council resolution, given that it comes with express denial of monetary assistance. She said that the official recognition of the existing friendship and connection with them demonstrated that the people of Hastings recognise their humanity, their rights and their righteous struggle for freedom and justice. She also hoped that the official link would bring some more awareness to the efforts of the PSC and to the people in Gaza. Fundraising efforts were ongoing, and they had raised £4,300 last weekend from a ‘Walk the Seafront for Gaza’ family promotion.
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Not a PENNY of tax revenue to be wasted on this pathetic vanity performance.
Why’s that JC, do you not believe we should be openly supporting the people of Palestine while there is an active genocide committed against them?