Hackney Mayor Apologises for Haifa Twinning Deadline Error

Hackney Mayor Zoë Garbett has issued a second letter to the Mayor of Haifa apologising for a "serious mistake" in setting a 7 October deadline for responses to the council's proposed termination of their 58-year twinning arrangement. The original deadline coincided with the third anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.

The council voted on 28 July to begin the process of ending the twinning, which dates back to 1968. In her initial letter, sent the day after the vote, Mayor Garbett informed Haifa's Mayor Yona Yahav that the relationship "no longer reflects the strategic priorities of the council". The letter cited the UN Commission of Inquiry's conclusion that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and invited views on the termination by 7 October.

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A follow-up letter, sent on 30 July and obtained by the Hackney Citizen, extends the period for representations to 14 October. Mayor Garbett described the original date as "a deeply regretful oversight" and acknowledged its significance. "As Mayor, I take full responsibility for the correspondence issued under my name. Overlooking the significance of this date was insensitive and a serious mistake, and for this, I offer my sincere apologies," she wrote.

Criticism and Council Explanation

The initial deadline, highlighted on social media, drew criticism from Jewish communal organisations. Martin Sugarman, chair of the Hackney Anglo-Israeli Friendship Association, told the Daily Mail that Mayor Garbett should resign, calling the date "vile and sinister" if deliberate, or "staggering" if an error. Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told Jewish News that the choice of date was "an appalling choice" and reflected on the Hackney Greens' attitude to the borough's Jewish community.

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A Hackney Council spokesperson stated that the original consultation was set to run for 10 weeks on the consultation platform. "As soon as we noticed this error, we changed the closing date," the spokesperson said. The Mayor's letter provided further detail, explaining that officers had extended the engagement period to ten weeks "to ensure it did not close during the Jewish holidays in September". However, "in selecting a ten week engagement period to navigate the religious calendar, officers failed to recognise the significance of the 7th October date itself."

Background to the Twinning Review

The twinning arrangement has been largely dormant since the Covid-19 pandemic. The relationship, established in 1968, primarily involved medical exchanges between Homerton Hospital and the Rambam Medical Centre. Campaigners, including the Hackney Palestine Solidarity Campaign, had urged the previous Labour administration to end the twinning since October 2023, arguing that civic ties with Haifa, which hosts the global headquarters of arms manufacturer Elbit Systems, normalised the treatment of Palestinians. Former Mayor Caroline Woodley had twice declined these calls, citing concerns about inflaming community tensions.

The Green Party's manifesto for May's election, which saw the party secure 42 of the council's 57 seats, committed to de-twinning at the earliest opportunity. Hackney PSC welcomed the council's vote on 28 July. Interested parties now have until 14 October to submit their views on the proposed termination, with the council expecting the process to conclude in the coming months.