THE CITY COUNCIL HAS FAILED TO PROTECT A PUBLIC SPACE FROM PROVOCATIVE MISUSE
AN OPEN LETTER FROM BRIGHTON & HOVE PALESTINE SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN
26 June 2025
To:
- Cllr Bella Sankey, Leader Brighton & Hove City Council
- Cllr Mitchie Alexander, Cabinet Member, Communities, Equalities and Human Rights, BHCC
- Peter Kyle, MP for Hove & Portslade
- Jess Gibbons, Chief Executive BHCC
We write on behalf of our hundreds of local members and supporters – and in particular on behalf of our many Palestinian and Jewish members – to object to the City Council’s failure to act on its duty to protect a public space from misuse. Specifically, the Council continues to tolerate the use of Palmeira Square as a so-called ‘memorial’ to Israeli citizens, despite objections over many months. At the same time, the Council has acted swiftly to remove two significant monuments in the city centre to the thousands of Palestinian children murdered by Israel in its ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Background
- For nearly 20 months, there has been a ‘memorial’ to Israeli citizens in Palmeira Square in Hove.
- The memorial was set up by ‘Jewish and Proud’ in November 2023 in order to ‘hold the square’, because Palestine Solidarity marches sometimes begin in Palmeira Square. ‘The idea was to hold the Square for the Jewish community…’ [transcription of video of rally at Palmeira Square 24 May 2025, see video link 1].
The intention from the beginning was to convert a public space into one for the exclusive use of a certain group and to prevent others from assembling there and anywhere nearby. - Soon afterwards, the memorial was festooned with yellow ribbons to commemorate Israelis killed or kidnapped on October 7, 2023. Since that time, the area surrounding the Floral Clock in the north of Palmeira Square has been claimed as a ‘Jewish site’ to prevent other groups using the public space [2].
- Many in the local community find the presence of this Israeli ‘memorial’ distressing and offensive. It has been in this public space for nearly 20 months, against the backdrop of a genocide and multiple war crimes being perpetrated by Israel. More than 65,000 Palestinians have been slaughtered in Gaza, and many more seriously injured, mainly women and children. The number of those murdered still covered by rubble and therefore uncounted is likely to exceed 30,000. Israel’s campaign of genocide has now expanded to include the intentional starvation of over 2m captive and traumatised Palestinians.
- The reality is that the ‘memorial’ has become a physical rallying focus for those defending Israel’s ongoing genocide. For example, the book sited at the ‘memorial’ includes photographs of Israeli soldiers who have died during the genocide, whilst bombing houses, refugee camps, schools, mosques, churches and hospitals in Gaza [3]. Pro-Israel demonstrators have been observed chanting ‘IDF! IDF!’ before gathering at Palmeira Square [4]. This clearly negates the narrative promoted by the ‘memorial’ organisers that it is a specifically Jewish shrine to those killed or kidnapped on the 7th of October 2023. The public do not wish to host, or see, a memorial to war criminals.
- Memorial organisers have used its presence to attempt to bar demonstrations against the genocide from assembling in Palmeira Square, on the grounds that it results in members of the local Jewish community feeling ‘unsafe’ [5]. In fact, Brighton & Hove PSC has used Palmeira Square for some 20 years to gather supporters together – long before the start of the current genocide, and long before the appearance of the ‘memorial’ [6]. It goes without saying that none of the dozens of demonstrations held in the city over the past 20 months, in solidarity with the beleaguered people of Gaza, have targeted Jewish residents or Jewish buildings. It is both disingenuous and insulting to suggest otherwise.
- The organisers of the display claim there have been several attacks on the ‘memorial’ by people who object to it [7]. If this claim is valid, we have no wish to condone such attacks. At the same time, we understand that many people have been traumatised by the continuing genocide in Gaza.
- Memorial organisers conflate Israel with the entire Hove Jewish community. If this were correct, it would not explain why pro-Palestinian demonstrations have attracted large numbers of local Jewish people. And if it were correct, the ‘memorial’ could have been accommodated in any number of other locations in the city. There would have been no need for a performative public display of mourning for Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers in Palmeira Square.
- The organisers of this ‘memorial’ describe anyone who objects to the display as ‘antisemites’. They say they consequently fear for the safety of local Jewish people, thus offending all those who are not part of their group. This repeated claim levelled against the people of Brighton and Hove brings the City into disrepute [8]. Again, if the organisers are suffering as they claim to be, the ‘memorial’ could be accommodated at any number of locations in the city. There would be no need for a performative public display.
Objections to the display
On 19 December 2024, a question about the status of the ‘memorial’, and a request to have it removed, was put to a meeting of full Council [9]. It was confirmed the ‘memorial’ was temporary and would be removed in the following months. In email correspondence with BHCC it was indicated the ‘memorial’ would be removed in April 2025. BHCC were relying on the organisers to remove it, but suggested if it was not, it would be removed by BHCC in the first week of May 2025. Subsequently, BHCC decided the memorial would not be removed by them. The current status of the display appears to be ‘Tolerated Trespass’. It is astonishing that BHCC should choose to tolerate this trespass for 20 months, despite complaints from the public, whilst at the same time moving quickly to remove two significant monuments in the city centre (in Victoria Gardens and St Peter’s Church grounds [10]) to the thousands of Palestinian children murdered by Israel in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The City Council has not given formal permission for the ‘memorial’. It is deemed to be ‘tolerated trespass’ but it seems BHCC is reluctant to enforce its removal.
To summarise our objections:
- The ‘memorial’ is being used to suppress freedom of expression and assembly in a central public space. The organisers of the display regularly assert that any gathering near to the display, to protest against the genocide, is deliberately targeting the sanctity of the ‘memorial’ and puts the local Jewish community at risk, whilst providing no evidence to support this assertion.
- The public rationale for the ‘memorial’ is misleading. The organisers’ narrative around a ‘Jewish site’ is undermined by the fact that Israeli soldiers are memorialised by the display, which actually serves as a physical rallying point for those defending Israel’s ongoing genocide.
- The ‘memorial’ is unauthorised, despite claims in some quarters to the contrary. It is deemed to constitute ‘tolerated trespass’ by the City Council, with no action taken to remove it. The double standard here is shocking, when monuments to murdered Palestinians are removed peremptorily by the City Council.
The ‘memorial’ is offensive to members of all communities who do not support war crimes and genocide. It is entirely inappropriate in a public space designed to be used by the entire community, which also includes those of Palestinian heritage. The removal of the memorial is long overdue.
Videos and screenshots referenced can be accessed in GoogleDrive:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PWvC49JRLBmkoJavoByuSVMESvqFpfwqFl5Y0Xrcgcw/edit?usp=sharing