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Hastings and District Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Newsletter 5 January 2024
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In this newsletter:
New Year Boycott Tour Saturday 6 January
National March For Palestine Saturday 13 January 12.00 noon
Hastings march for Gaza Sunday 21 January
Hastings Council meeting: Hastings Twinning with Al-Mawasi 24 January
Children's Paintings and Poetry Exhibition from Gaza
Defend our Right to Boycott. Write to your MP
Report-back: Film show Israelism
South Africa takes Israel to the International Court of Justice
 Saturday 6 January 12.00 noon. Hastings town centre.
Israel has kept up its genocidal bombing campaign against the civilians in Gaza. In addition to this, 1.9 million people, or nearly 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza, are estimated to be internally displaced. Most are sheltering in UN camps, but, according to the UN: "People are sleeping in the streets, out in the open."
We need to keep up the pressure on Israel. BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) was started by Palestinian civil society as a powerful form of non-violent resistance. On Saturday join us for a tour of sites to highlight the products we can boycott to stop companies profiting from occupation, apartheid and genocide. Facebook event page. Details on Instagram.
NATIONAL MARCH FOR PALESTINE - CEASEFIRE NOW!
Saturday 13 January 12.00 noon Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1BP It has never been more important to stand with Palestine. Call for a full Ceasefire NOW and an end to the siege of Gaza.
Meet at Hastings Station 9.30 to catch the 9.46 train. If anyone needs help with the cost of a train ticket or is willing to sponsor someone else's ticket please get in touch directly on info@hastingspalestinecampaign.org Details.
Sunday 21 January More details to follow.
HASTINGS COUNCIL MEETING : TWINNING WITH AL-MAWASI
Wednesday 24 January 5.30 pm For the past 2 years, people in Hastings have been building friendship links with Palestinians in Al-Mawasi in Southern Gaza and we are calling on Hastings Council to make an official twinning link between our two towns.
Join us to lobby Hastings Council at the next full council meeting on January 24th. Assemble at 5.30pm at Muriel Matters House.
Lets boost the numbers on the petition to Hastings Council by sharing it everywhere!
At a time when Gaza is literally under threat of annihilation, voting to twin our towns would be a significant gesture of solidarity.
If the council does not include it on the agenda we will ask questions from the gallery and lobby councillors to support the twinning. More information at the PSC Facebook event page.
CHILDREN'S PAINTINGS AND POETRY EXHIBITION FROM GAZA
This exhibition is of poetry and art by children in Gaza aged 9 - 15 which was created as part of a competition run by the Hands Up Project. Two of the children with poems published in the book are known to have been killed in the current bombing campaign in Gaza. The poem by Fatema Saidam, aged 9 'Eyes are for looking' has now been translated around the world. Tragically, she was killed with her family in October by an Israeli air strike.
The exhibition will last for a week. Details to follow.
DEFEND OUR RIGHT TO BOYCOTT - WRITE TO YOUR MP
Next Wednesday 10th January, the government's toxic 'anti-boycott' bill will be returning to parliament for its third reading in the House of Commons. If passed, the anti-boycott bill will prevent public bodies - including local councils, universities, and public sector pension funds - from making ethical choices about spending and investment and ban their participation in boycotts.
The government has made clear that the main purpose of the bill is to undermine campaigns in support of Palestinian rights.
WRITE TO YOUR MP
Thanks to everyone who came to our film show last week. The film depicted two young American Jews who were raised to defend the state of Israel at all costs. When they witness Israel's mistreatment of the Palestinian people, they are horrified and heartbroken. The film showed how more young Jews are questioning the narratives their synagogues and school teachers fed them as children.
Thanks to everyone for the engaged discussion we had afterwards - with an audience that clearly wanted to find out more about how the supremacist ideology of Zionism has gained influence in the west and how to oppose it.
A chance to watch Israelism for $5 until 31 January: Film rental.
SOUTH AFRICA TAKES ISRAEL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
"The 84-page application is the most significant call for Israel's actions to be labelled a genocide, and comes as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza nears 23,000, with the majority of the recorded fatalities being women and children."
The Middle East Eye has broken down the application's main points and explains what impact a decision from the international court could have. Article here.
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PALESTINE - ISRAEL: FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
Much of the 'information' in the corporate media is often misleading. Some useful sources:
Middle East Eye. Electronic Intifada. Al Jazeera. Middle East Monitor.
Mondoweiss. Palestine Chronicle. Al Mayadeen. Mintpress. The Grayzone.
The Cradle.
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Hastings and District PSC online membership and donations
Becoming a member of Hastings and District PSC is an important way of supporting our work.The annual subscription is £10 waged, £5 unwaged. We now have an online membership payment form. It can also be used to renew membership. If you would rather not use Paypal, you can pay directly to our bank: please contact us for the details. Or alternatively pay at one of our events.
The work of Hastings and District PSC could not continue without the donations from members of the public. If you would like to support our work without becoming a member please visit our shop page here and see the right hand column:
Donate to Hastings and District PSC.
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Recent Hastings and District PSC newsletters:
29 December 2023
22 December 2023
14 December 2023
Keep up to date with our website and social media:
Website Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Channel TikTok.
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