Local War of Words Escalates over Gaza Killings
HUGH SULLIVAN
News reports of Israel’s blockade of humanitarian relief to Gaza and of the renewed military assault upon its citizens have provoked fresh passions amongst local citizens, whether sympathetic to the Palestinian cause or otherwise.
The Hastings & District Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), having realised that the St Leonards factory of the US arms manufacturer General Dynamics (GD) is leased from Hastings Borough Council, has demanded that the Council take action to prevent it manufacturing components of bombs being used “in the commission of an ongoing genocide.” Local PSC secretary Laurie Holden has pointed to evidence that 2,000lb MK-84 bombs made by GD were dropped on the tented camp at al-Mawasi, which has direct friendship links with Hastings. In February he wrote to then Council leader Julia Hilton, arguing that the lease could be revoked if the premises were being used for “illegal or immoral” purposes, which would include engaging in conduct ancillary to genocide.
In a written response sent on 28 April, Cllr Hilton said that the Council had plans to introduce an ethical policy “to guide all future lettings”, but that “manufacturing components” was a permitted use within the terms of GD’s lease. The Council’s Legal Officer had advised her that there were “no legal grounds” to end the lease.
On 9 May Hastings & Rye Liberal Democrats issued a public letter addressed to constituency MP Helena Dollimore demanding that she, along with prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, speak out unequivocally against Israel’s “serious violations of international and humanitarian law” in Gaza.
On the same day flyposters appeared across Hastings showing an image of the MP headed “WANTED: A Straight Answer…Do You Condemn Israel’s Genocide in Gaza?” Underneath, it stated: “We have been asking this question of Ms Dollimore for months. 60,000+ Palestinians murdered and [she] has no response?”
Cllr Glenn Haffenden, about to be elected as leader of Hastings Borough Council, immediately dissociated the Green party from this personal targeting. On 10 May he posted on Facebook that “while we absolutely condemn the ongoing genocide in Gaza and have been consistently calling for a ceasefire, we also absolutely condemn such personal attacks on Helena and distance ourselves from any organisation which chooses to go down this route as part of their campaign tactics.”
PARLIAMENTARY INTERVENTION
Ms Dollimore did in fact intervene in a Parliamentary debate last Wednesday to question the Minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer MP, saying: “The situation is intolerable with one in five Gazans facing starvation; the use of aid as a weapon of war by Israel is inexcusable. The continued firing of rockets by Hamas and detention of hostages are also inexcusable, and it all must end. I welcome the UK, with our international allies, calling an urgent briefing on the situation at the UN Security Council. There, the UN humanitarian chief was clear in his warning about the dire consequences of the situation continuing. What steps are this Labour Government taking to get more aid in, get the hostages out and bring about the ceasefire and two-state solution that we all in this House desperately want to see?”
Notwithstanding this expression of Ms Dollimore’s views, the national Jewish Chronicle weighed in with a claim that local Jewish residents were outraged by the poster. A Facebook page hosted by the Hastings Jewish Community Limited described its message as “misguided, vicious, misogynistic and bullying”, and called upon local councillors and political parties to cut all ties with the Hastings PSC, including a boycott of their marches and public platforms.”
In response, a spokesperson for the PSC pointed out that this company (HJCL) has “one named officer [former Hastings BC councillor Dany Louise] who has been smearing our organisation for many years. We are unaware who else it represents, but it is not ‘the’ Jewish community…Many of our members are part of the Jewish community, our chair is Jewish and we have been jointly holding protests against the Israeli genocide in Gaza with Hastings Jews for Justice, a large and active group which stands with the Palestinians in their struggle for liberation.”
A spokesperson for HJCL told the Jewish Chronicle in turn that “[we have] over 75 members…We are proudly Jewish, and believe wholeheartedly in Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself from terrorist armies.”
In the meantime, Ms Dollimore spoke to HIP about “both the humanitarian situation in Gaza and rising levels of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia closer to home. We all want this war to end, and I am always happy to engage respectfully with constituents on these issues. However, I will not tolerate abuse or harassment towards my staff or myself, and anyone engaging in this cannot expect a response.”
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Dear Hugh Sullivan,
Your article “Local War of Words Escalates over Gaza Killings” (May 21, 2025) rightly highlights the new low from the local Hastings PSC attack on our democratically elected MP Helena Dollimore. It is pure bullying, and I’m pleased to see that Cllr Glenn Haffenden has condemned this dangerous targeting of a young female MP. Today in Washington DC the cold-blooded killing of 2 young innocent Jewish supporters of the arts by a “Free Palestine” activist outside a Jewish museum serves as a warning to those who target hate against public individuals. Inciting violence, stoking terror is unacceptable.
Secondly, Hastings Jewish residents are a tiny minority. The 2021 Census identified 211 inviduals from Jewish backgrounds – 0.2% of the local population of Hastings & Rye. For the PSC (and by inference HIP) to dismiss the 75 Jewish members (and growing) of Hastings Jewish Community Ltd, is to dismiss the voices of 35.5% of Jews in the constituency. I highly doubt that Hastings Jews for Justice represents the other 64.5% of local Jews in our multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-faith community.