Brent Council twins with Nablus, ahead of a national demonstration this Saturday to mark the 77^th anniversary of the Nakba, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were driven from their homes by Zionist forces in 1948.

Brent Council is the latest borough to set up a twinning arrangement with Palestine. The Labour Council has officially voted to approve a landmark twinning agreement with the Palestinian city of Nablus, marking a historic moment of solidarity, cultural partnership, and people-to-people diplomacy.

The vote, held during the Full Council meeting on Tuesday 14 May, was passed resoundingly—met with applause across the council chamber and welcomed by community members, campaigners and civil society groups. Brent joins a growing number of UK communities forging partnership links with cities in Palestine.

Cllr Ihtesham Malik Afzal, who led the initiative, 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.”

The twinning follows a motion passed last year and has since developed into a powerful grassroots initiative, driven by residents, diaspora communities and local organisations. With the formal agreement now approved, Brent will begin building strong and lasting connections with Nablus through cultural exchange, educational partnerships, youth dialogue, and shared efforts around social justice and civic participation.

“Today is a momentous and proud day for Brent,” said Cllr Afzal during his speech to the chamber. “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.”

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.

The initiative has been praised by residents, faith groups, educators and community leaders. Importantly, the twinning is fully community-driven and independently funded and will not draw on council resources – which is one of the red herrings raised by Tory councillors in opposing the measure.

The emotional resonance of the vote was also marked by the Irish heritage of Brent’s new Mayor, a poignant link to Brent’s only other twinning relationship—with South Dublin—drawing connections between the Irish and Palestinian struggles for identity, dignity and self-determination.

The twinning will be formally launched later this year, with delegations and collaborative events planned both in Brent and in Nablus. Brent is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse boroughs in the UK and has the second highest Arab diaspora in England and Wales, second only to Birmingham.

—

Demonstrate this Saturday 17th May

—

Monday May 19^th meeting, 6pm, The Pavilion, 30 Nine Elms Lane, SW8 5DF (Opposite the US Embassy)

Al-Haq and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), are taking the UK government to court over their export of F-35 components to Israel.

Listen to Al-Haq’s General Director, Shawan Jabarin who will give an update on the case against the UK government, and provide his insights in relation to the current situation in Gaza and West Bank.