A London council has been accused of ‘sectarianism’ for twinning with a Palestinian city.
Brent, a Labour-run local authority in the north of the capital, voted in May to twin with Nablus in the West Bank to promote ‘cultural, social, economic, and educational exchanges’.
The campaign had been spearheaded by Councillor Ihtesham Afzal, who promoted the move in a speech by describing it as proof that ‘the people’ of Brent ‘stand for Palestine’.
But the decision has upset Jewish community leaders, who met council leader Muhammad Butt on Wednesday to share their concerns.
Afterwards, Amanda Bowman – co-chair of the London Jewish Forum – described the meeting as ‘more than disappointing’.
‘That is not meaningful engagement – it’s a box-ticking exercise,’ she said. ‘Jewish residents deserve better than symbolic gestures that ignore their concerns. We remain open to dialogue but real trust is built through action, not afterthought.’
Phil Rosenberg, the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, added: ‘Brent council’s long record of active support for community cohesion is now very much in question.
‘The proposed twinning will do nothing for peace in the region but risks the good relations of diverse communities in Brent.’
After the council vote, Councillor Butt claimed the decision to twin Brent to Nablus ‘was not taken likely’ and that it ‘followed a period of public engagement, including a petition signed by more than 2,000 residents’.
In an email to residents, he said he wanted to ‘acknowledge the pain and trauma that continue to affect Jewish communities both here in Brent and around the world following the horrific terrorist attacks committed by Hamas on Oct 7’.
A petition against the twinning suggested the twinning would not further the cause of peace given seven out of fifteen of the people who sit on Nablus’s own council are backed by Hamas.
It said that the city was home to militant groups including the Lions’ Den, which is sanctioned by the US, and – according to Israeli and Palestinian officials – is funded by Hamas.
The petition was launched by Ian Collier, who is Jewish and a former candidate for Reform.
He wrote: ‘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.’
Brent previously released a 67-page document justifying the twinning, in which it spoke of the ‘strong potential for collaboration between our two councils’.
This is far from the first time the Israel-Palestine conflict has had a bearing on local councils in the UK.
A slew of candidates motivated by the Gaza crisis were elected in council contests across England this May.
It was an echo of last July’s general election, which was marked by success for independents across traditional Labour strongholds.
Last month, a Labour MP told how he was being threatened by a group of masked pro-Palestinian activists who had blocked his constituency offices.
Luke Charters, the MP for York Outer, said the activists have ‘charged’ him with genocide and used ‘intimidating methods’ to pressure him over the war in Gaza.
He said he has become a target in his home town and local constituents had become ‘too scared to meet him’.
A Brent council spokesman said: ‘We want to thank representatives of Brent’s Jewish community for meeting the leader of the council to share their concerns respectfully. We deeply value the long and storied contribution of our Jewish residents to civic life in Brent, and we remain committed to fostering good relations between all of Brent’s diverse communities.
‘The twinning with Nablus is about promoting peace, cultural exchange and mutual understanding. It does not endorse any ideological belief and builds on a tradition of towns and cities forming international civic links to foster understanding and build bridges.
‘We acknowledge the anxieties raised and the council will continue to listen and engage as the proposals are developed. We have asked the Brent-Nablus Twinning Association to ensure that their activities reflect Brent’s values and, as set out in our international partnering protocol, any twinning can be reviewed if it falls short of our expectations.
‘Brent remains proud of its record as a place where communities live and thrive together in peace.’