Winter ‘25 Newsletter: Bethlehem Santa

Hi friends,

Regardless of whatever religion you may or may not practise, most of us recognise that this time of year was once a time for community and giving back. At least that was the messaging we were fed: it’s too cold and dark to go out, so be with family and be generous. 

But slowly giving has become spending. Constant consumerism has run rampant. You must have this new item. You must spend, spend, spend. It is unavoidable. Brands are constantly fighting for our attention to sell us the next best thing. They know we are frustrated and unhappy. They want to sell us a cure. But no new kitchen appliance, no new phone will satisfy what we really need.

Take, for example, one of my least favourite companies: Coca-Cola. They have almost entirely co-oped Santa Claus as a brand mascot. We’ve had over 90 years of the big red Santa sipping his Coca-Cola. He’s not a jolly old man bringing gifts to the less fortunate, he’s an influencer. 

I would like to introduce you to a totally different type of Santa. One that encompasses a different message. 

In 2014, as they did for many years before, Palestinian men dressed as Santa marched peacefully through the streets of Bethlehem. They asked for an end to the occupation. And as every other year, they were met with tear gas and violence. 

image.png

A Palestinian protestors demonstrate against Israeli settlements during Christmas, near a checkpoint in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Dec. 23, 2014. ABC News

This didn’t stop them from turning up again and again. Check out the pictures from 2016 – I think you’ll find them quite moving. https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20161225-israeli-forces-suppress-bethlehems-santa-claus-march-with-tear-gas-rubber-bullets/ 

Keep one eye on Bethlehem this Christmas. The Santas will march like they always do. Demanding an end to the genocide. Wanting the birthplace of Christmas back.

When a child in this country thinks of Santa they think of the cheerful Coca-Cola man who brings them presents. Yet Coca-Cola has only ever stolen from the Palestinian children. A massive Coca-Cola factory operates illegally, stealing water and land from these children.

Our biggest protest of the year happens in January. We must stand tall against tanks and armoured vehicles being bought and sold in Farnborough. Israel’s war machine will be on our doorstep as welcome guests by Farnborough Airport and the local MP, Alex Baker.

Last year we tried to make them feel unwelcome but our numbers were small. This year we need to be bigger and louder. We need you!

We would love to see you. 

Stand strong like the Bethlehem Santas. 

Winter Success Summary:
China destroys Israel’s diamond industry
Hebron wall collapses under rainwater
Countries boycott Eurovision
Guinness World Records not accepting Israeli submissions

The Farnborough Protest – STOP THE TANKS!!!

Weapons used by the Israeli army will be bought and sold at the International Armoured Vehicle Conference. We will gather outside to stand in solidarity with the victims of these weapons. 

Date: Thursday 22nd Jan 5pm

Location: Farnborough Exhibition Centre, Gate B, GU14 6EL (more details on Instagram)

Bring a warm coat!

More details here

Next Steps:

  • Have you signed our petition to stop the Arms Fair coming to Farnborough?
This Winter’s Recs:
Short read: Justice for Some – Noura Erakat
Songs: Eat Your Young – Hozier
Shop: Bedouin Heritage
Instagram: Thobnah
Website: Boycott Israel

Free Palestine,

NHPSC

Email Template to Alex Baker MP – Armoured Vehicle Conference Jan 2026

Copy the following and email to alex.baker.mp@parliament.uk

(Don’t forget to sign your name at the bottom)

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Dear Alex Baker MP

RE: Genocide on your doorstep

In your constituency there is an event being held every year at the Farnborough Exhibition Centre that sells weapons to be used to commit war crimes. The International Armoured Vehicles Conference will be attended/sponsored by over 20 companies and delegations that contribute to the Israeli military’s genocide in Gaza. (A genocide as confirmed by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, MSF along with forced starvation). So far the Israeli army has indiscriminately murdered 70,000 innocent civilian men, women and children in Gaza. (Sources: BBC, The Guardian.)

You have repeatedly stated you wish for a peaceful resolution in Gaza and for Israel to comply with International Humanitarian Law, so we implore you to take a stand and not let this event happen in your name. 

Please raise this issue in Parliament and with the Farnborough Exhibition Centre as you can not condone the sales of weapons that will be used in war crimes.

We ask that no weapon be bought or sold ever again in your constituency to those committing war crimes. This is an annual event that will continue to facilitate war crimes without your intervention!

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor” – Rev Desmond Tutu

Signed,

Summer ‘25 Newsletter: I was tricked into buying an Israeli product

Hi friends,

I had a disaster of a day at the last PSC march. Let me tell you the story and see if you can spot where I went wrong.

I was in London for the day for the march, but I was majorly unprepared. My phone had died, my feet hurt and I had forgotten my trusty reusable water bottle. So after the march, in my dehydrated and frustrated state, I popped into a corner shop, heading straight for the coolers. I remembered Evian was owned by Danone who invest in Israel, and Coca-Cola and Pepsi were also off the cards. But tucked in the corner was a bottle of Buxton, which I paired with some Juicy Fruit chewing gum and a packet of Doritos. The shop didn’t take cash so I paid on my Tesco credit card.

On the walk back to the station I thought I would pass by Boots to freshen up. I remembered Dove, Lynx, Nivea and Sure were boycott so I settled on a Mitchum roll-on and an Impulse spray.

I found myself being drawn to the sales in the makeup section. I knew most makeup was boycott. Even though they’re all different brands, chances are they’re owned by L’Oreal or Estee Lauder. But Haus Labs was also on sale and I knew it was a celebrity brand so it definitely wasn’t owned by L’Oreal or Estee Lauder. They don’t stock Haus Labs near me so it was the perfect opportunity to find my shades. I couldn’t help myself, I picked something up. On the way to the checkout they were also running a discount on lip balms, which I knew would help me feel less dry. I knew Vaseline was boycott so I opted for Burt’s Bees.

It was difficult staying BDS-safe but I didn’t want to undo all the hard work of everyone that had been marching all day. 

I grabbed a coffee for the train journey home. Pret and Starbucks were obviously off limits so I popped into Costa and jumped on the next train home.

Did you notice the mistake I made? 

What if I said every single product I bought was on the BDS boycott list or zionist owned!!

Here’s the breakdown:

Buxton – owned by Nestle

Juicy Fruit – all Wrigley’s gum is owned by Mars 

Doritos – owned by Pepsi 

Tesco Bank – owned by Barclays which funds Israeli weapons

Mitchum – owned by Revlon 

Impulse – owned by Unilever

Burt’s Bees – sources ingredients in Israel

Haus Labs – owned by Lady Gaga (a zionist)

Costa – owned by Coca-Cola 

It’s impossible for most of us to shop entirely boycott-safe, but being knowledgeable is a powerful skill to help us do better. Had I known where I was going wrong, I could have made very small changes to avoid picking boycott items.

Here’s what I should have done:

Buxton → Highland Spring

Juicy Fruit → Mentos, Trident

Doritos → Off-brand tortilla chip

Tesco Bank → Co-op Bank

Mitchum → Fussy, Salt of the Earth

Impulse → So…?, Layering Lab

Burt’s Bees → Carmex

Haus Labs → Soap & Glory, Milani, Wet n Wild

Costa → Cafe Nero, Independent coffee shops

Brands will not always tell you who they are owned by. It’s very important that you do your own research, so if you’re going shopping make sure you’ve charged your phone so you can search anything you put in your basket! 

There are apps like the No Thanks App or Boycat, or websites like The Witness that will take all the work out of it, just enter the brand to find out if you’re being boycott-safe.

Summer Success Summary:
The Co-op will implement boycott of Israeli goods 
100,000+ people protest the government over Pal Action
F35 Day of Action 
Peterborough City Council divest from Israeli weapons

Next Steps:

  • Have you signed our petition to stop the Arms Fair coming to Farnborough?
  • Will we see you at the next national march?

This Summer’s Recs:
Documentary: The Settlers – Louis Theroux
Book: Perfect Victims – Mohammed el-Kurd
Short read: A Human But From Gaza 
Song: YAFA – Lana Lubany
Shop: Hirbawi
App: No Thanks IOS Android 

Free Palestine,

NHPSC

Open Letter to Local Councillors – Pension Fund Divestment

We sent this letter to all the Rushmoor Councillors as there is approximately £335 million of their pension fund invested in companies that help Israel commit war crimes and build illegal settlements including Lockheed Martin, Barclays, HSBC, Google and more. You can find the complete list here by selecting Hampshire Pension Fund from the dropdown list.

If you would like to write to your local councillor you can find their email address here. Below our letter is an edited template for you to send. Make sure you sign with your postcode so they know you are local.

—

Dear Councillor,

We, North Hampshire Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, are deeply concerned that Rushmoor Borough Council and Hampshire Pension Fund (administered by Hampshire County Council) hold investments in companies that fund and/or supply arms to Israel. 

Hampshire Pension Fund alone is understood to have over £335 million held in complicit investments. You can find the details of the companies here.

By investing in and using the financial services of such companies, Rushmoor Borough Council and your pension fund are facilitating the provision of weapons and technology for Israel’s attacks on, and deaths of, innocent Palestinian people. 

Israel unilaterally resuming its bombardment of Gaza, Israel has broken yet another ceasefire agreement which was being adhered to by Hamas. After agreeing to terms that included discussions on withdrawal, Israel reversed its position, attempting to change the deal to avoid removing its army from Gaza. This deliberate shift collapsed the truce and led to renewed, intensified attacks, inflicting catastrophic harm on a population already enduring unimaginable suffering. This continued assault, including the mass killing of civilians, could not occur without the flow of weapons, military technology, and financial backing that sustains it.

As we write Israel has killed over 50,000 Palestinian people, 70% of them are women and children. Over 17,500 children have been killed by Israel. What is happening in Gaza right now is mass starvation of an entire population breaching international law, with the denial of life saving aid and the killing of medical staff and destruction of facilities. In the West Bank, Israel is actively invading and ethnically cleansing by forcibly removing innocent civilians from their homes and taking hostage innocent civilians at random- all in direct violation of international law. Arrest warrants have already been issued for Israel’s Prime Minister and Defence Secretary by the International Criminal Court. 

These horrific acts cannot happen without financial backing and that is where you can help bring an end to the ability of Israel to inflict such pain and suffering.

We ask that you, like other councils around the country (Bristol, Manchester, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets, Dudley, Sandwell, North Somerset, Oxford and others), review your investment policy with a view to moving away from companies funding and supplying Israel’s military which is blatantly breaking international law, as well as companies involved in activities in illegally occupied territories as defined by UN Resolutions.

We urge you to demand divestment by your local council and your pension fund managers to end your complicity in war crimes and to help stop the ending of innocent lives. Surely you do not wish for your pension income to be funded by the death and destruction of defenceless people. 

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” Desmond Tutu- South African Anglican archbishop best known for his opposition to apartheid in South Africa, Nobel Peace Prize winner 1984.

Signed,

North Hampshire Palestine Solidarity Campaign

—

Template

Dear Councillor,

RE: Hampshire Pension Fund Investments

I am deeply concerned that Rushmoor Borough Council and Hampshire Pension Fund (administered by Hampshire County Council) hold investments in companies that fund and/or supply arms to Israel. Hampshire Pension Fund alone is understood to have over £335 million held in complicit investments.

You can find the details of the companies here.

By investing in and using the financial services of such companies, the Council and your pension fund are facilitating the provision of weapons and technology for Israel’s attacks on, and deaths of, innocent Palestinian people. 

As we write Israel has killed over 50,000 Palestinian people, 70% of them are women and children. Over 17,500 children have been killed by Israel. What is happening in Gaza right now is mass starvation of an entire population breaching international law, with the denial of life saving aid and the killing of medical staff and destruction of facilities. In the West Bank, Israel is actively invading and ethnically cleansing by forcibly removing innocent civilians from their homes and taking hostage innocent civilians at random. This is all illegal under international law and international arrest warrants are already in place for the Israeli Prime Minister and his Defence Secretary.

These horrific acts cannot happen without financial backing and that is where you can help bring an end to the ability of Israel to inflict such pain and suffering.

We ask that you, like other councils around the country (Bristol, Manchester, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets, Dudley, Sandwell, North Somerset, Oxford and others) review your investment policy with a view to moving away from companies supplying Israel with weapons used in violations of international law, as well as companies involved in activities in illegally occupied territories as defined by UN Resolutions.

We urge you to call for such divestment by your local council and your pension fund managers to end your complicity in illegal activity. Surely you do not want your pension income to be funded by war crimes and the killing of innocent lives.

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” Desmond Tutu

Signed,

<Your Name>

<Your Postcode>

Reflections on the International Armoured Vehicle Conference 22.01.25

On the 22nd Jan 2025 the annual arms fair came to Farnborough to buy and sell weapons. This was the 25th anniversary of this event which claims to have “gained a reputation as the world’s premier international meeting ground for all elements of the armoured community”. Whether this is something to brag about is up for debate. They also boast “46 Nations represented, 100 Speakers, 1000+ Attendees and 65 Industry partners on-site”. It is not a small event!

And Israel was very welcome to the event. There were many attendees from the Israeli military, Israeli private weapons manufacturing companies and those that proudly trade weapons with Israel.

The items on sale at this particular event were armoured vehicles. That includes tanks, armoured fighting vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, armoured bulldozers and self-propelled artillery.

The United Kingdom have provided the following armoured vehicles to Israel:

  • MDT David: This vehicle is based on the Land Rover. In 2023, the David was documented in Israeli military raids in Tulkarm Refugee Camp and the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Notably, Shireen Abu Akleh, the journalist for Al Jazeera, was shot in the head by a sniper from a David vehicle.
  • Puma (Heavy Combat Engineering vehicle), Nagmapop (Command & Surveillance vehicle), Nagmachon (Heavy armoured personnel carrier), Nakpadon (Heavy armoured personnel carrier), Nakpuma (Heavy Combat Engineer vehicle/Heavy armoured personnel carrier), and more.

This event was a chance for Israel to trade and build further connections with arms companies, a significant financial opportunity for those without morals. In 2022, arms sales from the UK to Israel totalled £42 million, and in 2023 it was £18 million.

We, as the North Hampshire PSC, and as locals in Farnborough and the surrounding area, don’t want to have Israel trading in our town. We know the harm Israel can achieve with the weapons they purchase every year at this event. For example, Israel have purposely run over dozens of fleeing civilians with tanks and even tortured detainees by running them over with tanks. Since the IAVC, Israel has begun an invasion with tanks in the West Bank.

In the year leading up to this event:

  • Israel murdered 200+ journalists, labelling them and “terrorists” and “targets”.
  • The numbers in Gaza stand at:
    • Killed: at least 61,709 people, including 17,492 children
    • Injured: more than 111,588 people
    • Missing and presumed dead: more than 14,222
  • Israeli attacks damaged almost all of Gaza’s homes, 88% of school buildings, 50% of healthcare facilities, 68% of road and 68% of cropland.
  • Israel said it bombed 40,000 locations in the Gaza Strip (which is 360 km2). By one estimate, the bomb tonnage dropped on Gaza is more than 70,000 tonnes.

Our Government did not respond appropriately. In the year leading up to this event:

  • A shameful 16 of 268 UK export licences to Israel were suspended.
  • Zarah Sultana (Labour MP) formally submitted the Arms Trade (Inquiry and Suspension) Bill. The bill would require the Business and Trade Secretary to immediately suspend the sale of arms to foreign states where it cannot be demonstrated that arms sold will not be used in violation of international law. No progress has been made on this bill since its introduction in May 2024.
  • Hamish Falconer (Labour MP, the Minister for the Middle East) expressly the Government’s ban on export licenses will not include “F-35 components” to be used in the West Bank and Lebanon, only Gaza. The F-35, or the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a supersonic stealth strike combat aircraft created by Lockheed Martin and BAE systems and has been labeled the “most lethal fighter jet in the world”. It has been used by the Israeli Air Force in:
    • Al-Hudayah, Yemen, three months before Falconer made that statement, in an attack where 14 civilians were killed.
    • Beirut, Lebanon, dropping 2 missiles one months before the statement, killing 14 people. The third Israeli airstrike in Lebanon that year.
    • Gaza, Palestine, two months after Falconer claimed they were going to stop! The loophole found was shipping to the USA and then forwarding on to Israel!
      • The F-35 jet is the aircraft that dropped a 2000lb bomb on a so-called ‘safe zone’ in Khan Yunis the same day the Government decided to end these particular export licenses, killing 72 people in one day.
      • One month later another airstrike (bomb dropped by an Israeli F-35 jet) in Deir al-Balah killed 24 people. Nine days later an airstrike killed 19 people.

—

The legal implications:

  • Amnesty International documented unlawful Israeli attacks, including indiscriminate attacks, which caused mass civilian casualties and called for Israel to be investigated for war crimes. They concluded that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
  • The UK government was taken to court by Palestinian human rights organisation Al-Haq and the UK-based Global Legal Action Network for the “F-35 Carve Out”, in which the government will not suspend its sales of F-35 parts to Israel.
  • At the International Court of Justice, South Africa accused Israel of international humanitarian law violations in its military operations in Gaza.

—

In the face of this atrocity we need to do more. On the day of the action we lined the streets entering the Exhibition Centre with signs calling out the Israeli delegates for their war crimes and all the other attendees for their complicity. But it made no difference. The conference continued as if we weren’t there.

We garnered 600+ signatures on a petition to end this event and it was ignored by the CEO of the Exhibition Centre as well as Alex Baker (our local MP). The local council did nothing.

We asked our followers to reach out using our email templates to warn their local MP about the event and to speak up in Parliament. Every mention in the Commons by MPs had been batted down by the government as they constantly claim they are “urging Israel to uphold international law” knowing full well they are not!

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What can be done from here?

We must keep the pressure on the government. That means sending more emails to MPs and councils, signing more petitions, turning up at demonstrations.

This is not the only arms fair in Farnborough. Next month the DPRTE will be here selling more death. We hope to see you standing in solidarity with us ❤

Email Template to Alex Baker MP – DPRTE

Copy the following and email to alex.baker.mp@parliament.uk

(Don’t forget to sign your name at the bottom)

+++

Dear Alex Baker MP

RE: BAE and Thales in Farnborough

In Farnborough, your constituency, there is an annual event being held that caters to war criminals. It connects buyers and sellers to discuss so called ‘defence procurement’. It is held by DPRTE at the Farnborough Exhibition Centre.

Companies included this year are BAE Systems and Thales.

BAE Systems has multiple export licenses to Israel. They are the main UK company involved in F-35 production. These F-35 Jet Fighters have been used to commit atrocities against civilians and violate international law.

Thales also has multiple export licenses to Israel. They also own UAV Tactical Systems (along with Elbit). These tactical drones are being used to massacre and surveil civilians.

As a reminder, the onslaught in Gaza has been described as a GENOCIDE by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and MSF (Doctors Without Borders). Israel repeatedly break the ceasefire daily.

BAE Systems and Thales have facilitated horrific war crimes.

Now they are coming to Farnborough to continue their horror show.

I remind you, at least 37,496 people have been killed in Gaza (according to the Lancet Medical Journal) though they estimate the real number could be as high as 15 times that!

Surely you do not condone genocide?

Surely you will not let these warmongering companies into our town to trade.

Your job as my representative is to:

  • Speak up in Parliament. We need the support of you and your colleagues to stop these powerful companies from poisoning our town.
  • Talk to the Farnborough Exhibition Centre. Warn them that they are facilitating bloodthirsty corporations’ weapons sales for use in war crimes.

We ask that no weapon be bought or sold ever again in your constituency to those committing war crimes. This is an annual event that will continue to facilitate war crimes without your intervention!

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor” – Rev Desmond Tutu

Signed,

Alex Baker MP didn’t stop a massacre

Please write to Alex Baker MP to express your disgust at her lack of action.

On 21st Jan this year the International Armoured Vehicle Conference came to Farnborough, to buy and sell weapons used to break the law. She did nothing.

Tanks and bulldozers were sold to the Israeli military forces. Now these same tanks and bulldozers are being used to destroy homes in the West Bank. We raised this with her and she was silent.

Use this template below to reach out (and add your name and postcode at the end):

___

Dear Alex Baker MP,

I am writing to express my disappointment.

On 21st Jan the International Armoured Vehicle Conference came to Farnborough. Many people made you aware that they would be selling weapons to the Israeli military. A military that has broken international law repeatedly. They have committed war crimes.

You were asked to raise this in Parliament. You did not.

You were asked to reach out to the Farnborough Exhibition Centre. You did not.

You were send a petition showing the local support to end this arms fair. You ignored it.

I fear you no longer represent me or this community.

I implore you to reach out to the Exhibition Centre as this event is not a one-off and will continue to happen until you act. As my representative, your voice has more weight and we cannot stop this event if you continue to remain silent.

I also once again ask you to raise this with the Labour Government to end the sale of weapons used for illegal purposes by the Israeli military.

Not in Farnborough. Not ever.

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” – Rev. Desmond Tutu

Signed,

International Armoured Vehicle Conference 22.01.25

472 days of genocide yet we still have to call out the unapologetic complicity to a genocide! 

We stood united outside the Farnborough Exhibition Centre to oppose the International Armoured Vehicles Conference, an event that makes our country complicit in atrocities. This is not just a conference. It is a marketplace for weapons of war, and it is a direct link in the chain of violence, destruction, and genocide.  

At this conference, companies such as BAE Systems, Leonardo, and Thales sell weapons and components to the Israeli military, used to bomb hospitals, destroy schools, and reduce entire neighbourhoods to rubble. They are tools of war crimes. Tools of genocide.  

This event is not just a one off. It happens every year. Previously it took place at the Twickenham Stadium, until the local PSC helped the community take a stand. Now it is held in Farnborough and it will continue to be here unless we do something.

It’s not just about action on the day. There’s a lot more that goes into it. We had a petition that garnered over 600 signatures, an open letter to the CEO of the Farnborough Exhibition Centre urging him not to let this event take place (which was even signed by the Jeremy Corbyn Project!). We created templates to make it easier for the general public to email Alex Baker MP. We reached out to local councillors and spread the word for everyone else to do the same. Putting pressure on our representatives and decision-makers is key.

This event may be over for this year but the weapons purchased will continue to do damage to the Palestinian people and beyond. So we vow not to forget. We will continue to fight this cause. And we need your help to stop the International Armoured Vehicle Conference coming back to Farnborough next year.

What you can do:

 We cannot do this without you!

Open Mic 12.7.24

We held a fundraising evening at Karuna Coffee, Aldershot to raise money for future events, leaflets, this website, and other supplies. This was our first open mic and our theme was ‘Freedom’.

We had a range of amazing performers, poets, and singers, and had a chance to heard from people in Gaza documenting their experiences which were translated live by an an Arabic speaking guest. We round out the night with an encore that became a sing along of a very emotional song.

In the intermission we sold tatreez (Palestinian embroidery) handmade in the West Bank, along with Palestinian olive oil soap, Watermelon keyrings, and Keffiyeh from Hebron. All the money from these sales went back to the small businesses in Palestine. We also sold homemade cakes which were delicious.

All this and more can be seen on our Instagram story