Dear Head Teacher, I am writing to you about the (potential) presence of the global arms manufacturer, General Dynamics, at your school / college. I am aware from various parents that General Dynamics has attended careers fairs at schools across East Sussex. Did you know that General Dynamics is the fifth largest global arms manufacturer. The company is one of the main suppliers enabling Israel to carry out its war crimes against Palestinian people. It supplies the MK-84 2,000lb bombs that Israel continues to use to murder and destroy in Gaza. Its Hastings factories produce communication systems for fighter planes and ground vehicles. General Dynamics' profits in 2024 were $3.7 billion. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued six emergency orders to Israel, including: Israel must take all possible measures to prevent acts as outlined in the 1948 Genocide Convention. This entails not killing members of a particular group (in this case, Palestinians); and, Israel must ensure its military does not carry out the aforementioned actions. Further, the ICJ has ruled Israel's presence in occupied Palestinian territories is illegal and should end. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his crimes against humanity. In the last 18 months, the Hastings and District Palestine Solidarity Campaign has organised 16 peaceful protests outside the two General Dynamics' sites in Hastings to speak out against the immoral and illegal supply of weapons to Israel. They are not alone. In April this year the NEU, Britain's largest teaching union, voted to disarm education, calling on all schools to end links and collaborations between arms companies and schools. Half a million teachers, support staff and leaders agree that companies producing technology used to hurt and kill people, companies profiting from war crimes and genocide, have no place in our schools. In simple and brutal terms, inviting General Dynamics to attend careers fairs or having links with General Dynamics, is allowing a company complicit in war crimes to speak with children about joining a company that produces weapons used to slaughter children. As a parent I find this appalling and deeply troubling. I would like the school to make clear its position on this matter, specifically by preventing General Dynamics from attending (further) careers fairs at your school, at least while it is still supplying weapons and ordnance to Israel. While I wholly support giving pupils the opportunity to explore future careers and realise the importance of establishing positive contacts with local employers, there are also important reasons not to give free reign to companies acting against international law. And it is beyond doubt that General Dynamics is profiting directly from Israel's war crimes and crimes against humanity. Thank you for taking the time to consider this request. Yours sincerely, Your Name _____________________________________________________ Note Please BCC your email to info@hastingspalestinecampaign.org so that we can keep track of which schools have received complaints and the schools' responses.