A north-west London council has defended its decision to twin with an occupied city in the West Bank after a petition was launched opposing the move.
Brent Council voted to twin with Nablus at a meeting in May to promote “cultural, social, economic and educational exchanges”.
But the decision sparked a backlash from local residents who felt the council had failed to consider the “effects of this decision to those residents with protected characteristics”.
Residents argued “tourism is not realistically possible,” particularly for members of the Jewish, Christian, and LGBTQ communities, who are “unlikely to be made welcome” in the city.
Now, Labour council leader Muhammed Butt has defended the move, saying it was “not taken lightly” and that it “followed a period of public engagement”.
He stressed that the decision to twin did not represent “support for any political group or administration in Nablus”.
Butt wrote to residents saying: “First and foremost, I want 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 October 7.
“I want to be unequivocal: Brent Council condemns terrorism and hatred in all its forms.
“We stand in solidarity with all innocent victims of violence, including those who were so cruelly targeted in Israel, and we remain firmly committed to ensuring Jewish residents in our borough feel safe, respected, and valued.
“The decision to twin with Nablus was not taken lightly. It followed a period of public engagement, including a petition signed by more than 2,000 residents.”
Nablus is located in the West Bank, a landlocked territory which was illegally occupied by Israel in a war in 1967, along with the Gaza strip.
Hamas has controlled Gaza, while Fatah, formally the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, administers the majority of the West Bank.
The two groups are rivals; the Hamas movement was founded to challenge Fatah and took control of the Gaza strip in 2007.
Fatah has recognised Israel and said it renounced terrorism in 1988. It seeks a two-state solution for a Palestinian homeland, whereas Hamas is committed to the destruction of Israel.
Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7, 2023 attack and abducted 251 hostages.
Since then, more than 50,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Brent's Labour group leader Ihtesham Afza, who spearheaded the twinning campaign, said the decision was “momentous”, the BBC reported.
"We'll be collaborating for the mutual benefit of both Brent and Nablus,” he said.
Mr Afza said the decision pre-dated the Hamas-Israel conflict and that it would raise awareness of what is happening in Palestine.
However, Conservative councillor Michael Maurice, who opposed the move, said he was “disappointed” with the decision and said that it would be “dangerous” for Brent residents to go to Nablus on exchange trips.
"I'm not opposed to twinning with any particular cities, but I think Nablus is particularly dangerous,” he said.
