Hastings council leader voices support for Palestinian town twinning

At a full council meeting on Wednesday (January 24), new council leader Julia Hilton gave “in-principle” support for Hastings becoming a twin town of Al-Mawasi, a Palestian town on the southern coast of the Gaza Strip.

Cllr Hilton had been responding to a question posed by her fellow Green Party councillor Tony Collins.

Cllr Collins said: “Given the strong local connection between people in Hastings and people in Al-Mawasi in Gaza and the high level of engagement in recent months by many members of the Hastings community campaigning for a ceasefire in Gaza, could the council leader please explain why the council has remained silent on the situation in Gaza and what the council intends to do to show solidarity and support for our friends in Al-Mawasi.”

While not explicitly mentioned in his question, Cllr Collin’s question appeared to be referencing a campaign by a group known as the Hastings Friends of Al-Mawasi.

The group has established a Change.org petition (signed by 538 people at time of publication), which calls on the council to establish an official town twinning with the fishing and farming community.

This appeared to be the meaning taken by Cllr Hilton, who said: “As a council body we haven’t had the opportunity to debate the situation in Gaza, so I can’t give a council opinion because this chamber hasn’t debated it.

“What I can say, as leader of the Green group, is that we have been unwavering in our calling for a ceasefire since the beginning of this conflict and I remain standing behind that position.

“In terms of the twinning with Al-Mawasi, I haven’t yet been able to get briefed on the twinning processes. I have only been leader for a week and I’m afraid there has rather been a lot going on.

“I think, in principle, it sounds an excellent idea. We’ve had twinning with all sorts of places all over the world and I understand there is a strong connection already with the group. So it seems to me like a very good idea, but I don’t understand the processes yet so forgive me if I can’t share that.”

The meeting was briefly interrupted during Cllr Collins’ question when a woman in the public gallery stood and began filming the meeting on her phone. She was initially asked to stop as the council usually requires prior permission for filming, but was allowed to continue with the agreement of councillors.