Hackney Council in East London is set to vote on a proposal to “twinning” with the Israeli city of Haifa after nearly six decades, as an act of protest against Israel’s genocide war in Gaza.
The twinning agreement between Hackney and Haifa, Israel’s third-largest city located north of Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean coast, was signed on 26 July 1968. Its original aim was to promote “friendly contacts and exchanges between ordinary people,” part of a long tradition of British cities fostering cultural, commercial and tourism links with foreign partners.
According to the local council, the agreement with Haifa has been “dormant” since the COVID-19 pandemic. The council also stated it would “not engage in any twinning activities with Haifa while the conflict continues.”
Changing political landscape
In local elections last May, the Green Party took control of Hackney Council from Labour. The issue of ending the twinning with Haifa became a key plank of its campaign. The Green Party has a strong pro-Palestinian stance and has spoken out against Israel’s war in Gaza.
In its election manifesto, Hackney Greens stated: “In Haifa, Palestinians live under Israeli state occupation and apartheid; this is not a city that reflects Hackney’s values.” They pledged to end twinning with Haifa “at the earliest opportunity” and conduct a comprehensive review of all existing twin relationships.
Before the vote, a petition launched by the Hackney Palestine Solidarity Campaign in 2024 urged the council to end the twinning. Former Hackney Mayor Caroline Woodley had previously said the agreement was “no longer effective” and would be reviewed after the conflict ends.
Mixed reactions
The move has drawn criticism from Jewish groups in the UK. Phil Rosenberg, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, called the proposal a “gesture of spite rather than reason.” He stressed that Haifa is “a diverse city, led by a progressive mayor,” where Arab lawmakers have increased their presence in recent elections.
Former Hackney MP and Labour MP Luke Akehurst also spoke out against it. He argued that ending the twinning would break family and personal ties between Hackney’s large Jewish community and Haifa. “Haifa is famous as a left-wing city – ironically, the Israeli Green Party is quite strong there – and a model of Jewish-Arab coexistence,” Akehurst wrote. He also noted the agreement had facilitated health exchange programmes between Homerton and Rambam hospitals.
According to the 2021 census, Jews make up 6.7% of Hackney’s population, though the council acknowledges the actual figure may be higher.
Beyond Hackney, other British cities such as Newcastle, Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Barnet (north London) also have twinning ties with Israeli localities. The vote is expected to take place on Tuesday evening (local time) and the result will be announced in due course.
