Barnet backs Haifa twinning plan after Hackney severs ties

Barnet Council has backed plans to twin with the Israeli city of Haifa, months after Hackney moved to end its partnership with the city after more than 50 years.

The north London borough, home to Britain’s largest Jewish community, voted in favour of a Conservative motion to explore a formal relationship with Haifa, which is known for its mixed Jewish and Arab population.

The motion, proposed by Conservative councillor Raffy Lachter, described Hackney’s decision to cut ties with Haifa as “shameful”.

It said: “The changing position in Hackney provides an opportunity for Barnet to consider how a direct civic relationship with Haifa could benefit residents and community organisations in both locations.”

Barnet’s Labour councillors abstained from the vote, despite supporting a separate motion earlier that evening condemning the Green Party’s “Zionism is Racism” conference motion. One Independent councillor voted against the Haifa proposal, according to the Barnet Conservative Group.

Lachter criticised both Hackney’s decision and Labour’s refusal to back the plans.

“Hackney has got this badly wrong. While the Green administration is looking to cut ties with Haifa, we believe Barnet should be looking at what those ties can achieve,” he said.

“I am disappointed, if not surprised, with the Labour group’s approach to our motion. They rightfully supported a motion calling out the Green Party’s Zionism is Racism motion as antisemitic. But when the time came to take a meaningful stance to support our Jewish community and defend Zionism – they stood aside.”

Under the plans, Barnet would invite Haifa’s mayor to discuss a possible twinning agreement, with council officers asked to examine the costs, benefits and practical arrangements before reporting back at the next ordinary council meeting.

The partnership could lead to closer cooperation between hospitals, universities and schools in both areas, particularly in healthcare, education and research.

The London Jewish Forum welcomed the vote, praising Barnet for seeking to strengthen international ties at a time when other councils were moving to cut them.

In a statement, the organisation said: “At a time when some councils are seeking to sever long-standing international partnerships, Barnet’s decision recognises the value of building connections between communities.”

It added: “We commend Barnet Council for taking this positive step and look forward to working with councillors and officers to help turn this proposal into a meaningful and lasting partnership.”

The move follows Hackney’s controversial decision to begin the process of ending its longstanding relationship with Haifa, which had existed for more than five decades but had been inactive since 2019.

In July, Hackney’s newly appointed Green mayor, Zoë Garbett, wrote to Haifa about ending the arrangement, initially giving the Israeli city’s mayor until 7 October to respond.

The deadline sparked criticism because it fell on the third anniversary of the Hamas terror attacks on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.

Garbett later apologised for what she called a “deeply regretful oversight” and extended the deadline to 14 October.

Campaigners supporting the end of Hackney’s partnership argued that maintaining links with Haifa, a major Israeli port city, was incompatible with the borough’s values during the war in Gaza.

Haifa’s mayor, Yona Yahav, criticised the move earlier this month, saying: “Hackney’s decision regarding this historic relationship is its own. Haifa’s values, and our commitment to living by them, will remain unchanged.”

Haifa, Israel’s third-largest city, is widely known for its Jewish and Arab communities living and working alongside one another.

Barnet’s motion also highlighted the borough’s Jewish population, which stands at 56,616 or 14.5 percent of residents, according to the 2021 census.

Barnet already has links with the Israeli city of Ramat Gan, alongside partnerships with towns and cities in France, Germany, Nepal and the United States.

The vote does not formally establish a twinning agreement with Haifa, but allows discussions about a future partnership to begin.