More than 1,500 people have signed a petition calling on Brent Council to “immediately halt” its plan to twin with a city in Palestine. The creator of the petition claims the decision “appears sectarian in its nature”, whilst the architect of the twinning plan suggests it is “based on misinformation and fear”.
At a meeting in May, Brent Council approved plans to twin the borough with the city of Nablus in Palestine. Brent's Labour group chair Ihtesham Afzal, who spearheaded the campaign for the partnership, said the decision “affirms the council’s commitment to solidarity and shared values”, however a prominent Jewish organisation described the decision as a “divisive gesture”.
Following the agreement, a petition signed by 1,504 people has been submitted and will be presented to the council at a meeting next week. The petition's creator, Ian Collier, has called for an immediate halt to the plan on the grounds of “equity, diversity and inclusion”, the current difficulty in travelling to the city, and its links to Hamas - a group proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK Government.
The petition states: “The proposal to twin has not given due regard to the effects of this decision to those residents with protected characteristics which include, along with the Muslim community, Jews, Christians, Jains, Sikhs, Hindus and the LGBTQ community. Brent’s objectives should be to enhance community relations and cooperation, and this proposal will undermine this objective as it appears sectarian in its nature.”
It adds: “In reality, tourism is not realistically possible for most people, including students of Brent, to Nablus. Jewish, Christian and LGBTQ communities are unlikely to be made welcome. This goes completely against the spirit of mutual co-operation and the rationale for twinning. In addition, Foreign Office advice is against all but essential travel to Nablus.”
Concern over 'anxiety' caused within communities
Brent Council's own equality analysis states that it is important to recognise that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas is "highly contentious and polarising". It suggests the conflict has been attributed to rises in hate crime in the UK and "may cause anxiety to some of Brent's communities", potentially causing different groups to be "emotionally impacted by the twinning, at the very least". The petition suggests that the council “should prioritise its time and money on local issues”.
In response, Cllr Afzal has alleged that the petition is based on “misinformation and fear” and suggests it includes “demonstrably false claims” and “inflammatory language” that “undermines the principles of democratic engagement”.
Cllr Afzal told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the Muslim councillor's names had been added to the petition “without consent” and it should be “thrown out on that basis alone”. He also claimed the suggestion that Nablus is controlled by Hamas is “not only wrong, it’s dangerous”.
Nablus sits in the West Bank - a landlocked territory illegally occupied by Israel in a war in 1967. Whilst Hamas has controlled Gaza, Fatah - a nationalist and social democratic political party - administers areas in the West Bank. Fatah has recognised Israel, said it renounced terrorism in 1988 and seeks a two-state solution for a Palestinian homeland, whilst Hamas is committed to the destruction of Israel.
A spokesperson for the Jewish Leadership Council told the LDRS that, since the conflict started, there has been a “desperate fractioning” of community cohesion, which has been accompanied by a “steep rise in anti-Jewish hatred”.
However, Cllr Afzal said that twinning with Nablus “isn’t about politics”, he described it as a “gesture of humanity, not hostility” and about “cultural and civic exchange” rather than party politics.
He added: “We will not allow the politics of fear and division to derail a simple act of solidarity, international friendship and collaboration for mutual benefit. Twinning with cities like Nablus is a peaceful, symbolic gesture that promotes mutual understanding. Opponents are using fear and misinformation to polarise the issue and divide the community.”
The petition will be presented at Brent Council’s Full Council meeting on July 7. In a response to concerns raised about the move, Brent Council Leader, Cllr Muhammed Butt said: "We understand that the decision to twin with Nablus has caused some concern, particularly in light of current affairs and the links between many Brent households and families in the Middle East.."
He added: "The twinning initiative is intended as a gesture aimed at fostering dialogue and mutual understanding, building bridges between communities, sharing experiences, and supporting grassroots collaboration. The process around this twinning, is not a closed story and we know that there is still more to be done."
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