Hackney to reconsider Haifa links as part of twinning review

A review could lead to the Council formally terminating the civic twinning agreement between Hackney and the city of Haifa in Israel.

The Council is committed to ensuring Hackney’s international twinning relationships reflect its values. 

Hackney Council is now reviewing its twinning arrangements after Full Council agreed, in principle, to the formal termination of the 1968 civic twinning agreement with the Israeli municipality.

The Council will establish a cross-party Twinning Working Group to review all of Hackney’s historic twinning relationships, several of which have been dormant for decades. The group will explore new, ethical twinning models with a focus on partnering with municipalities engaged in peacebuilding, climate justice, and local democracy movements.

Before any final decision is made on terminating the Haifa agreement, the Council will write to the Mayor of Haifa and carry out a short period of public engagement, alongside a full equalities impact assessment.

Zoë Garbett, Mayor of Hackney, said:

“This Council stands up for human rights and wants to ensure our global connections reflect our shared core values. We want active, ethical partnerships that champion peace. 

"Given the ongoing humanitarian crisis, and the gravity of the UN Commission of Inquiry Reports concluding Israel has committed genocide, maintaining a civic connection with what is widely recognised is a military port city is fundamentally at odds with our anti-racist values.”

Councillor Sam Mathys, Cabinet Lead for Culture, Nightlife, and Community Resilience, and the member with responsibility for this work, added:

“Reviewing the Council’s twinning links is a commitment of this administration. I’m therefore very proud to lead this work and start this process. 

“Civic partnerships should be about shared values, fostering peace, striving for justice and equality. We will review our twinning relationships through this lens and bring recommendations back for consideration at a future Council meeting.”

The Council will now establish a Twinning Working Group and engage with those it needs. Those who wish can engage with the Council on its website and hard copy materials can be made available. This engagement, and an equalities impact assessment will inform the Council’s decision making processes.

A final implementation proposal and a new twinning policy will be brought back to Full Council at a future meeting.