The Jewish Bloc on a National March for Palestine June 2024
The Brent Jewish Network has written to the the leader of Brent Council requesting a meeting so that they can discuss their support for the twinning arrangement with the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
The move comes after Cllr Butt promised consultation with the Jewish community about the issue after presentation of a petition opposing the twinning at Full Council last Monday.
The Brent Jewish Network was initially a loose grouping formed in late 2023 as a consequence of the development of a Jewish bloc at pro-Palestine demonstrations. Latterly it has adopted a more formal structure.
The list of signatories has grown since the letter was sent last week:
Cllr Muhammed Butt
c/o Labour Group Office Brent Civic Centre Engineers Way Wembley
HA9 0FJ
11 July 2025
Dear Cllr Butt,
We would like to congratulate you and Brent councillors for successfully passing the motion to begin the process of twinning Brent with the Palestinian city of Nablus. We want to pay our appreciation for the many hours of work undertaken by yourselves and the Brent Nablus Twinning Association to reach this point. Twinning with Nablus is a deeply meaningful act of solidarity with the long-suffering Palestinian people and an exciting opportunity for our communities in Brent to develop fraternal links with the city of Nablus.
We are a diverse group of Jewish people in Brent who care deeply about our home borough, our neighbour communities and the global struggle for a fairer, peaceful world. We include synagogue members, secular Jews, young people and elders - yet we speak with one voice in wholehearted support for twinning with Nablus.
Following comments made at the full council meeting on Monday, in particular your intention to consult with the local Jewish community on this matter, we are formally requesting a meeting with yourself to share our views as Jewish residents and community members of Brent. We strongly believe that the majority of Jewish residents support (or at least, do not oppose) the twinning proposal.
Exclusive consultation with just one part of our community is counter-productive, reductive and divisive. We firmly reject both the ludicrous claim that twinning with Nablus is “sectarianism” as well as the false presentation of this view as the sole voice of the Jewish community.
Additionally, those of us who have previously visited Nablus seek the opportunity to share these experiences with the council cabinet.
Please respond with your availability for an in-person meeting in the coming days and we will make the relevant arrangements.
With much gratitude,
Daniel Wernberg
Ben Samuel
Rabbi Dr Frank Dabba Smith
Dr Jonathan Fluxman
Carol Foster
Dr Ian Saville
Pamela Laurance
Lucy Cox
Tessa Van Gelderen
Tom Goodman
Juliet Sampson
Emma Tait
Ilana Machover
