Council votes to twin with Gaza town

A council has voted to twin with a town in Gaza after several speakers at a meeting compared Israel’s war on Hamas with the Nazi Holocaust.

Hastings borough council in Kent, which is controlled by the Green Party, voted to twin with the town of Al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, in a move that was said to show solidarity with the Palestinians.

A resolution passed by the council means it will enter a partnership including fundraising, political support and raising awareness of issues in Al-Mawasi, in the south of Gaza.

It was proposed by Cllr Yunis Smith of the Greens, and passed with 14 votes in favour, three against, and 11 abstentions, the majority of whom were Labour councillors.

In his speech to the council, Cllr Smith, a Muslim convert, said: “We all remember the haunting images from the Holocaust, the rise and fall of the Nazi regime, and we ask how the world stood by. I say to you now, don’t look away. Don’t let history repeat itself on our watch. Let never again mean never again.”

Cllr Mike Turner, an independent, explicitly referred to the Holocaust, saying: “This is a very similar situation. It’s the same old story. Powerful people make decisions and little kids die.”

Cllr John Rankin, a fellow independent, compared the situation in Gaza to the Blitz, urging councillors to “remember what it’s like when children live in fear”.

Cllr John Cannan, also an independent, defended the activities of Palestine Action – recently proscribed as a terrorist group and known for targeting Jewish-owned and Israel-linked businesses.

Independent Cllr Simon Willis, whose family fled Nazi persecution, also made reference to the Holocaust and told the chamber: “This is what genocide looks like.”

Opposing the move Cllr Helen Kay said the motion “goes way beyond the remit of local councillors to serve our residents in such areas as improving housing, bin collections [and] fly-tipping”.

Dany Louise, a member of Hastings’ Jewish community, said: “The meeting was horrifically antisemitic and is deeply concerning for Hastings’ Jewish community. ”

Brent Council in London has sparked widespread anger after committing itself to twinning with the West Bank city of Nablus.