Hackney Greens to End 50-Year Twinning with Israeli City Haifa

By the Editorial Team · Saturday, July 25, 2026

Hackney Council, controlled by the Green Party, plans to end its over 50-year twinning relationship with Haifa, citing concerns over the treatment of Palestinians in the city. The move, expected to pass despite opposition from Labour and Conservative councillors, reflects the Greens’ commitment to aligning the borough’s partnerships with their values and follows a pause in joint medical exchange programs since 2020.

The Hackney Council in north London, now led by the Green Party, is set to end its more than 50-year twinning relationship with the Israeli city of Haifa. The move, scheduled for a vote next week, follows the Greens’ assertion that Palestinian residents in Haifa live "under occupation and apartheid," which they say is inconsistent with Hackney’s values.

The twinning arrangement, established in 1968, has operated under the shared goal of fostering cultural and community ties. While some Labour and Conservative councillors are expected to oppose the proposal, the Green Party’s majority control of 42 out of 57 council seats makes the measure likely to pass.

The Greens highlighted in their election manifesto that past Labour-led councils had disregarded widespread community calls to end the twinning. They stated that “Haifa is not a city that reflects Hackney’s values” due to the treatment of Palestinians in Israel, and called for a reevaluation of the borough’s future twinning affiliations to ensure alignment with those values.

The twinning agreement previously included a biennial exchange program between medical professionals from Hackney’s Homerton Hospital and Haifa’s Rambam Hospital. This collaboration has been on hold since 2020.

Opponents of the decision have voiced strong disapproval. Labour councillor Michael Desmond, who is Jewish and participated in a 2024 council debate on the issue, described calls for de-twinning as an “appalling, abusive tirade.” He argued that the twinning arrangement was intended to foster cultural values, religious freedom, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence between communities.

Labour MP Luke Akehurst, a former Hackney councillor who served for 12 years before entering Parliament, criticised the Greens’ proposal as a “performative and spiteful gesture.” He pointed out that the twinning originated from the borough’s significant Jewish community with personal ties to Haifa, a city known for its left-wing politics and as a model of coexistence between Jewish and Arab populations. Akehurst added that promoting peace should focus on initiatives that encourage dialogue and cooperation rather than cancelling partnerships or imposing boycotts.

The decision by Hackney’s Green-led council comes amid broader political developments, including a pledge by the Green Party’s Manchester mayoral candidate to establish a twinning relationship with Ramallah in Palestine.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.