Victory of Malice: Storm in London Over Move to Cancel Twin City Pact with Haifa

Hackney Council in London has approved the start of proceedings to cancel the twin city agreement with Haifa, signed in 1968. The decision, initiated by the Green Party, sparked outrage among Jewish organizations and residents, who called it a 'victory of malice.' The cities' ties previously focused on medical cooperation but have waned since the pandemic.

Hackney Council in East London last night (Tuesday) approved the start of proceedings to cancel the twin city agreement with Haifa, signed in 1968. The decision does not sever the ties definitively but approves in principle to end them after consultation with Haifa Municipality and local bodies. The relationship was originally meant to encourage ties and exchange delegations, and for about three decades focused mainly on cooperation between Homerton Hospital in London and Rambam Hospital in Haifa, but activity has nearly ceased since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Green Party, which won control of the council in the local elections in May with 42 out of 57 seats, pledged in its platform to end the connection with Haifa against the backdrop of the war in Gaza. The move drew sharp criticism from Jewish organizations and local residents, who called it 'a victory of malice over common sense.' Opponents of the decision argued that Haifa is an example of Jewish-Arab coexistence, and that severing ties would harm dialogue and the Jewish community in Hackney. Conversely, pro-Palestinian activists welcomed the vote as 'a symbolic step against Israeli policy.'