Hackney, a borough in east London, is consulting residents until October 14 on whether to end its twinning relationship with Haifa – Israel's third-largest city – a partnership established in 1968.
The Green Party-led council voted on July 28 to end the partnership in principle, citing values and human rights commitments amid the war in Gaza. Councillors will make a final decision after the consultation and a review of the borough's twinning policy.
What is a sister city?
A sister city, also known as a twin town, is a pairing between municipalities in different countries linked by a formal friendship agreement. Such relationships can support student exchanges, cultural events and official visits, although many become less active over time.
How did town twinning begin?
The modern twinning movement grew after the Second World War as a way to rebuild trust and promote peace. Coventry and Stalingrad (now Volgograd) – two cities heavily bombed during the war – established a friendship link in 1944, often regarded as the first modern town-twinning relationship.
St Paul in the United States and Nagasaki in Japan formed a sister-city link in 1955 to promote reconciliation after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945. Since then, cities have forged links based on shared history, similar roles such as capitals or ports, or communities with roots in both places.
Why do cities cut ties?
Because twinning is often symbolic, severing a link can allow a council to make a statement. Several UK councils suspended or ended links with Russian cities after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Prague also ended its relationship with Beijing in 2019 amid a dispute over Taiwan, after which the Czech Republic established a partnership with Taipei. Hackney's proposal is the latest example of cities reviewing their international relationships.
