Cinema bosses have scrapped plans to host further screenings from a Jewish film festival after it was picketed by Pro-Palestinian activists.

Activists from the Brighton Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and the Brighton Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign picketed the screening of An Israeli Love Story hosted at Duke’s at Komedia in Gardner Street, Brighton.

Both groups were unhappy that the cinema, operated by the Picturehouse company, was screening the film as part of the Seret Film Festival.

They say the festival is funded by the Israeli government and by banks who “help fund Israeli settlements in the West Bank”.

Their banners included signs such as “end Israeli Apartheid” and “you can’t artwash Apartheid”.

In total six people were ejected from the cinema after interrupting the screening.

Police at first arrested one protester on suspicion of aggravated trespass but this was dropped and they were released.

But Sussex Jewish Representative Council say some of those attending were elderly Jews who felt threatened, despite having nothing to do with the policies of the Israeli government, and said many feared leaving the event.

In a statement the council said: "Picturehouse cites security concerns for staff and customers as the reason for the cancellation. Let us be very clear as to where that potential threat came from; it was not from the Jewish community.

“Our community and those who wanted to see the films did not seek to make political statements, just view some films.

“We are saddened that it appears that Picturehouse has given in to the bullying tactics of the PSC/BDS, whose wish was to suppress and silence the diverse voices that make up Israel.”

The row in Brighton follows the move by the United States to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem, sparking protests in which scores of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers at the border in Gaza.

Brighton Palestine Solidarity spokesman Steve Jones said film screenings here are an attempt by the Israeli government to legitimise its policies, and therefore have to be challenged.

The Argus: Pro-Palestinian activists outside the Dukes of Komedia cinema.

He said: “We asked the cinema why they were screening the film, and had no response.

“It is sponsored by the Israeli embassy and banks that fund settlements in the West Bank.

“We support the Palestinian call to boycott, which includes a cultural boycott.

“It is not about individual events, but events which are officially funded or supported.

“There are huge things going on in Gaza at the moment, they assume a film festival somehow normalises what the Israeli government is doing, but we don’t accept that.”

The Argus: Protesters picketed the Seret Film Festival

Picturehouse said film festivals allow controversial films to be shown, but said it has scrapped all future screenings from the Seret Film Festival “amid safety concerns” for staff and customers.

The company said that anyone who has bought tickets will be refunded if they call the customer service team on 020 7733 2229.

The Sussex Jewish Representative Council says it will host a screening of the Maktub film which was due to be shown.

It will be screened at a new venue at 7.30pm on Thursday, for information email Ashley.Woolfe@bnjc.co.uk.