Saturday 15 August 10am. Online. (Note the Sunday meeting has been cancelled). We recently had a meeting with a group of people from Al-Mawasi which gave us a great opportunity to share the culture, traditions and daily life experiences our two communities. Sign up for a free ticket and we will share an online link for the meeting by email.

Saturday 15 August 12noon until 2pm Town Centre.
We will be running our weekly stall as usual. With information leaflets, the petition calling on Hastings Council to ditch the General Dynamics' lease, boycott stickers, keffiyehs, tote bags, books and badges.

Saturday 29 August 2.30pm. Marina Beach, by the Azur TN38 0BU. Join us for this year's solidarity swim, paddle and picnic. This will be an International event with 25 swims already confirmed in the UK, Palestine, USA, South Africa, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Canada, waiting to hear from Malaysia, Hawaii, Thailand and Cuba. We hope that these swims will coincide with the Carnival in Gaza where approximately 2,500 children will run into the sea and swim after going through swimming lessons carried out along the seafront in central and southern Gaza (see section below 'Free Swimming Lessons for Children in Gaza.').

More information from the #swimwithgaza website. Hastings: #swimwithgaza 2023 #swimwithgaza 2024.

Monday 14 September Doors Open: 5:45 Starts: 6:00. The George In Rye TN31 7JT.
We're really pleased to see that Ahmed Masoud will be at the festival. We know Ahmed - he came to give a talk in Hastings a few years ago about his life in Gaza.

"Ahmed is a writer, poet and director who grew up in Palestine and moved to the UK in 2002. He is the author of the acclaimed novels Vanished - The Mysterious Disappearance of Mustafa Ouda and Come What May. He has written many widely-praised theatre and radio dramas. Ahmed is the founder of Al Zaytouna Dance Theatre where he wrote and directed many productions with subsequent tours in the UK and Europe. After finishing his PhD research, Ahmed published many journals and articles including a chapter in the Britain and Muslim World: A Historical Perspective. He certainly has a lot to talk about!" Ticket information.

The 'I do not consent to Palantir' campaign has got off the ground with this petition to put pressure on the East Sussex Heathcare Trust to ditch Palantir. If you want to get involved in the campaign please email. More information about the campaign is on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

"I do not consent to Palantir accessing my personal information and I insist that East Sussex Healthcare Trust drops Palantir immediately" Please sign and share widely.

SIGN HERE

This is the PSC's petition demanding the new Prime Minister ends Britain's complicity in Israel's ongoing genocide, illegal occupation, and system of apartheid. Call on the government to recognise the fact that Israel is engaged in genocide; impose comprehensive sanctions on Israel, including a full arms embargo; ban all trade in goods and services with Israel's illegal settlements; and end the use of public order and anti-terror legislation to suppress protest in support of Palestinian rights. Apologies for the incorrect link in last week's newsletter. This is the correct link.

SIGN THE PETITION

Support the PSC e-action: Write to the Foreign Secretary to demand the release of Dr Abu Safiya. The PSC letter also refers to the 9,000+ Palestinians who are currently imprisoned by Israel in the most horrific conditions imaginable and subjected to beatings, torture, rotten food and unsanitary environments. "The British government must take urgent action to hold Israel accountable for these crimes by implementing comprehensive sanctions now."

WRITE TO THE FOREIGN SECRETARY

This is a project we support that we really hope people can get behind. #swimwithgaza is working with and supporting this incredible project where pools are being constructed along the Gazan coast with boulders and sand bags forming mini-lagoon-like structures. So far five pools have been completed by Amjed Tantesh and his helpers. 9 more to be built. Amjed's life ambition is to teach as many children in Gaza to swim as possible. The money is needed to pay the teachers, the support staff, meals for the children and for Amjed's helpers who are setting up and maintaining the pools.

The fundraiser page is here: Free Swimming Lessons for Children in Gaza.

Amjed features in a recent Guardian podcast. It gives the background to his projects to teach children to swim; also there's a glimpse of everyday life for children in Gaza. Podcast: The Man Building Swimming Pools in Gaza. An accompamying article in the Guardian about Amjed and the Swim with Gaza project: Reclaiming stolen childhoods: swimming classes resume in Gaza after three years of war Article here.
More information at the Swim With Gaza website and at its Facebook and Instagram pages.

Sign the petition calling on Hastings Borough Council to evict General Dynamics from council premises for carrying out 'illegal and immoral activities.'

SIGN THE PETITION