By Warren Gamble on Stuff…

People on both sides of the Palestine-Israel protests in Nelson should feel safe, says mayor Nick Smith.

He was speaking before a public forum presentation at a Nelson City Council meeting on Thursday from former Tasman mayor Richard Kempthorne and two members of the Jewish community.

They said some members of the Jewish community did not feel safe as pro-Palestinian rallies continued in the city.

Smith said some had questioned the appropriateness of the council holding a public forum on the issue, but it had a role in managing public places.

He did not want the forum to become a debate on foreign policy or the conflict in Gaza.

Read the full story on Stuff here.