Showing posts with label Nablus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nablus. Show all posts

Friday, 18 July 2025

Brent Jewish Network meet Brent Council leader to express their 'strong support ' for Nablus twinning as positive step towards international friendship and understanding

 

Brent Jewish Network delegation with Brent Nablus Twinning Association outside Brent Civic Centre, 16 July 2025

A delegation of the Brent Jewish Network met with Brent Council Leader Muhammed Butt on Wednesday (16 July 2025) to express strong support for the borough’s proposed twinning with Nablus, arguing for this positive step towards international friendship and understanding. 

 

The diverse group included synagogue members, secular Jews, young people and elders. They shared their own experiences of visiting Nablus, the vibrancy of its city life, the warmth with which they were received by its people and the difficulties that their communities face under illegal Israeli occupation. They pointed out that visiting Nablus as visible Jews did not cause any hostility whatsoever from its people, who were unfailingly hospitable. They noted that Nablus, as home to Muslim, Chrisitan and Samaritan Jewish communities, was a great twin city for proudly multicultural Brent. 

 

The group expressed its dismay at the recent intervention in this matter by the Board of Deputies of British Jews. They reaffirmed that a significant threat to community cohesion is the false conflation of Jews with the Israeli State and the fraudulent presentation of every Jew as being in support of the Israeli war on Gaza. They explained that the Board, by choosing to assert these falsehoods, was directly undermining community cohesion in Brent.

 

The group also reaffirmed that the Board is not representative of the whole Jewish community, evidenced by its failure to include the Reform synagogue in Brent or any non-Orthodox synagogal bodies in its delegation to the Council. The Board’s highly sectarian attitude was demonstrated by its recent disciplining of 36 of its own elected representatives for expressing mild anti-war views. 

 

Following the meeting, Brent Jewish Network member Daniel said:

 

We congratulate Cllr. Muhammed Butt and Brent Council for the progress made on the Nablus twinning project. Nablus is a city that I was privileged to visit in 2015, where I was received with warmth and hospitality. Much like Brent, Nablus is a bustling, vibrant place. It is diverse, with many different communities living together. People in Nablus have much the same problems as us - unemployment, housing scarcity, inflation - in addition to facing a brutal Israeli occupation. Twinning is an exciting opportunity to build links with the people of Nablus in a spirit of friendship and solidarity.

 

It is pure chutzpa for the Board of Deputies to criticise anybody’s efforts towards community cohesion. Their intervention into Brent Council’s democratic process has nothing to do with defending Jews or community cohesion, but instead has everything to do with their steadfast support for Israel. Rather than affirm the separation of local Jews and the Israeli state, they knowingly conflate the two. We urge the Board of Deputies to step back from sectarianism.

 

Cllr Butt thanked the Network for their support for the twinning project and remarked that it was important to hear the alternative view of the local Jewish community to the one presented by the Board of Deputies delegation. He said that the council will continue to seek engagement will all parts of the local Jewish community, including the sections represented by the Brent Jewish Network. They were told that the meeting was helpful in documenting that the council was proactively engaging Brent communities

 



Thursday, 15 May 2025

Brent Council approves Nablus Twinning Partnership to build peace and cooperation

Brent Council last night overwhelmingly approved a twinning protocol and an historic twinning arrangement with the Palestinian city of Nablus.  

The Conservative Group voted against the twinning proposal and the Liberal Democrats abstained. Some Labour members who might have been expected to have reservations were amongst those who gave apologies for absence.

The reasons Conservative members gave for opposition varied from suggesting 'why not other cities or communities' to allegations from Cllr Maurice that Nablus was controlled by Hamas and the association could damage Brent's reputation. 

The Lib Dems and Cllr Kennelly were concerned about attitudes towards gay people in Nablus, although Cllr Kennelly did say he understood that restrictive laws had been repealed. For the Lib Dems, Cllr Lorber asked for undertakings from the Nablus authorities that gay people would be safe there.  If such undertakings were received they would not oppose the twinning.

 Cllr Ithesham Afzal speaking last night

In his speech supporting the twinning initiative Cllr Afzal said: 

Today is a momentous and proud day for Brent,This twinning is for them. For the children who grow up with the weight of occupation, yet still dream of a brighter future, a future of freedom. Because we don’t just speak of values—we live them. We don't just care about change; we make it happen.

Responding to the decision, supported by nearly 2,000 residents and several grassroots Brent organisations, he said

This twinning is about more than symbolism—it is a commitment to shared values, mutual understanding, and global solidarity at a time when so many are looking away. Brent is standing up and showing what it means to build peace and cooperation from the ground up.

 


Members of the Brent-Nablus Twinning Association with Mayor and councillors after the meeting

 

Welcoming the Council's decision the Brent-Nablus Twinning Association pointed out that as a community-driven initiative, the twinning will be independently funded and will not place any strain on council resources. It will instead harness  partnerships and grassroots support to fund and facilitate exchanges and joint programmes. 

The Association explained:

The partnership will include school and youth programmes, artist collaborations, digital storytelling, and community events, designed to foster understanding, celebrate shared culture, and raise awareness of the daily realities faced by Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.


Nablus—an ancient and resilient city in the northern West Bank with a population of over 150,000—is a centre of Palestinian culture, learning, and heritage. Brent, home to the second-largest Arab diaspora in England and Wales, has long stood as one of the UK’s most diverse and internationally minded boroughs.

Sunday, 11 May 2025

The last Annual Meeting of the current Brent administration

Wednesday's Annual Meeting of Brent Council marks the last year of the current administration and the thirteenth year of Muhammed Butt's leadership of the Labour Group and the Council.

The Annual Meeting sees much fussing over ceremonial regalia and flummery, as well as the serious business of appointing Committee members and representatives on outside bodies.

Cllr Ryan Hack will be installed as the youngest ever Brent Mayor and Cllr Kathleen Fraser as his seasoned Deputy.  Whether Cllr Fraser acceedes to the Mayoralty will depend on the outcome of the 2026 local election.

Committee details are not released until just before the Annual Meeting but Butt may attempt a 'refresh' before the election. Watch this space.

The last item on the Annual Meeting Agenda is a proposed Protocol for setting up International Partnerships and a proposed Twinning Arrangement with Nablus on the West Bank of Palestine.

The Twinning proposal is accompanied by a very thorough 67 page assessment of the benefits to Brent and the practicalities HERE.

 The twinning proposal has been supported by a 1849 signature petition and Brent Trades Council, Brent NEU, Brent Friends of Palestine and Brent Palestine Solidarity Campaign amongst others.

The financial arrangements are covered n the documentation:


The Mayoral Office is likely to spend some of its annual budget on hosting the occasional visit (if in a Twinning arrangement). A maximum budget per twinning or friendship agreement per financial year should be identified and confirmed with the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources by the officer(s) assessing the proposal to ensure funds can be allocated to this budget before any new Internal Partnership Arrangement is agreed.

 

 International Partnering Arrangements would fall under the remit of the Mayor of Brent, but costs related to International Partnering Arrangements must be met by the organisation leading on this. This includes costs for entertaining, gift swaps or costs for printing certificates. There should be no additional financial cost for the Mayor’s Office, or other parts of the council.


 

Tuesday, 19 November 2024

Brent Council to consider a formal twinning arrangement with Nablus after enabling motion passed

 

 The Labour Group motion to 'consider a formal twinning agreement between Brent and the city of Nablus, which sits under the governance of the Palestinian National Authority, and receive a report considering the proposal at a future council meeting' was passed by a large majority at last night's meeting.

An amendment by the Conservative Group (see video) was defeated and a Liberal Democrat move to get both withdrawn,  because the issue was 'divisive' failed. Legal officers ruled that both the substantive motion and the amendment were in order.

I have asked the Liberal Democrat to confirm how they voted as the Mayor does not summarise the vote and the council video does not pan across the chamber to show the voting. Cllr Neil Nerva removed himself from the council chamber before the vote was taken and returned afterwards.

A large group of Palestine supporters cheered as the motion was passed. 

STOP PRESS: Brent Liberal Democrat Group confirm that they voted against both the Conservative Amendment and the Labour motion.