Calling out Brighton’s Jew-haters

Recent political activity in Brighton, a major city on England’s Sussex coast, has seen a disturbing introduction of door-to-door campaigning, intimidating those individuals who either support Israel or who fail to express support for the pro-Palestinian views of the campaigners.

Brighton’s political landscape is varied. While the city has a small and long-established Jewish community supported by a number of passionate allies, its bohemian left-leaning legacy has tended towards views that are highly contemptuous of Israel. To counter this political direction, the Sussex Friends of Israel (SFI) was formed some 12 years ago and has continued to challenge the prevalence of local anti-Israel sentiments.

By a remarkable coincidence, on the same day that the USA and Israel launched their strike on Iran to overthrow that country’s antisemitic despotic theocracy, the SFI held a pre-planned march through Brighton, protesting the doorstep campaigning of recent weeks. Supported by the London-based campaign group Stop The Hate, some several hundred people joined the rally.

Pausing outside the local office of the Green Party, known for its vitriolic stance on Israel, broadcaster Josh Howie made an impassioned speech to the crowd. The march continued to the city’s Clock Tower where a vocal but thankfully, feebly attended gaggle of pro-Palestinians failed in their attempt to drown out the impassioned words of campaigners Nicholas Lissack and Vicky Bhogal.

With intensive military action taking place in Iran, the mood on the streets of Brighton was always going to be febrile. Today however the challenges to the SFI were weak and almost mute. With support from many from out of town who had joined the march, the rally struck an impassioned blow both for Israel as well as for local democracy.