Haifa Mayor criticises Hackney council’s de-twinning decision in formal letter
'It is difficult to reconcile Hackney's stated commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion with a decision to sever ties with a city that works every day to uphold these very principles'
The Mayor of Haifa has written to his counterpart in Hackney, describing how the council appears to have “allowed itself to be influenced by campaigns aimed at delegitimising Israel, driven by external political agendas and the spread of misleading information.”
In July, Hackney Council, which is now controlled by the Green Party, voted to end its twinning agreement with the Israeli city, which has been in effect for almost 60 years. At the time, the elected Mayor of Hackney, the Green Party’s Zoe Garbett wrote to Mayor Yahav, describing how “maintaining a civic connection in Israel is at odds with our anti-racist values”, and asking for a response from him. The council also launched a public consultation, which is due to end today.
In his response yesterday, Mayor Yahav said it was “difficult to reconcile Hackney’s stated commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion with a decision to sever ties with a city that works every day to uphold these very principles.”
He described how “Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze and Bahå’is are an integral part of our city’s social and civic fabric. Our shared society is reflected not only in our neighbourhoods, but also in positions of leadership and decision-making. Jewish, Muslim and Christian representatives serve in the city’s political leadership, Including at the Deputy Mayor level, while Jewish and Arab professionals hold senior management positions across our hospitals, academic institutions, public services and businesses. People from different communities work side by side, lead together and share responsibility for shaping the city’s future.
“These are not merely declarations of coexistence. They are the everyday reality of a city in which people of different faiths, backgrounds and identities share responsibilities, opportunities and a common future.”
Haifa’s Mayor also noted that “the decision also comes against the troubling backdrop of rising antisemitism in the United Kingdom and an increasingly polarised political climate. In this context, it is reasonable to question whether the proposed termination reflects a fair and independent assessment of our longstanding partnership, or whether broader political considerations have influenced a decision that risks deepening divisions between communities.
“In doing so, the Council also overlooks the value of this longstanding relationship to Hackney’s own residents, who have benefited from the ties between our cities.”
Mayor Yahav specifically identified a longstanding relationship between hospitals in the two locales, mentioning that “healthcare professionals from Hackney have benefited from the expertise and experience of their counterparts at Haifa’s Rambam Medical Centre.”
While the previous (Labour) Mayor of Hackney made it clear that there was no cost to the borough in maintaining the twinning agreement, Hackney council has failed to answer a Freedom of Information request inquiring how much the attempts to de-twin from the Israeli city was costing local residents. The council has now been in breach of its FOI requirements to provide such information for more than two weeks.
In the letter, which he requested to be included in the official record and brought to the attention of all Council members as part of the current process, Mayor Yahav said: “Sister-city relationships were never intended to reflect political agreement between governments. They were created to build bridges between people and communities across borders, cultures and differences. Their purpose becomes even more important in times of disagreement, when maintaining human connections requires courage, openness and mutual respect.
“We have no intention of persuading anyone to maintain a partnership they no longer wish to pursue. Nevertheless, ending a relationship of nearly sixty years in the name of inclusion and equality raises a fundamental question: Do these values call upon us to build bridges across our differences, or to erect walls between us? For Haifa, the answer is clear.
“We will continue to build bridges, strengthen our shared society and develop meaningful international partnerships with cities and communities that believe, as we do, that dialogue and cooperation are essential, especially when circumstances are difficult.
“Hackney’s decision regarding this historic relationship is its own. Haifa’s values, and our commitment to living by them, will remain unchanged.”
The borough of Hertsmere has already indicated that it will approach Haifa with regards to a twinning agreement if its arrangement with Hackney is broken.