Cork and Palestinian city twinning proposed

Work is ongoing to twin Cork city with a city in Palestine, as a motion was approved at Cork City Council’s International Relations and Tourism Strategic Policy Committee.

Labour Party councillor Laura Harmon had proposed: “That this council will seek the establishment of a twinning mechanism with a city in Palestine and Cork city.”

Rebecca Loughry, the council’s director of corporate and community affairs, explained that pursuant to previous motions concerning Cork twinning with a city in Palestine, a council official met with the ambassador of the State of Palestine, H.E. Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, twice in 2023.

“The ambassador noted her interest at the time in exploring a project between Cork and the city of Nablus in Palestine. Her rationale for the selection of Nablus as a candidate for a project was its status as the centre of commerce in Palestine and it being a university town,” she said.

“Further council engagement in the months ahead added the possibility of a heritage and conservation link between the two historic cities, and the ambassador was keen to develop other projects including the visit of a Palestinian youth orchestra to Cork.”

Ms Loughry explained: “The outbreak of hostilities on October 7, 2023, put a pause to these initiatives. However, pursuant to motions brought to council, opportunities for continued engagement have been secured.

“The ambassador has twice visited Cork since to brief elected members on the situation in Palestine, the first visit coinciding with the initial ruling of the International Court of Justice on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories in February 2024.”

The second visit took place in September 2024, with the emphasis in both briefings being on the role that elected members could play as advocates for Palestine. The Lord Mayor Dan Boyle, has also had a phonecall with the ambassador since, she added.

Ms Loughry explained: “The current approach of council with respect to twinning is to develop timebound programmes of mutual benefit with prospective partners before entering into formal twinning arrangements.

“Both the Embassy of the State of Palestine and Cork City Council have emphasised the need for a project to be both practical and meaningful. Council will continue to engage positively with the Palestinian embassy and engage with the Palestinian community locally, on how best to advance a project, and will continue to secure periodic opportunities for the ambassador to brief elected members.”

Ms Harmon’s motion passed at the committee level and will now go forward to full council.

She told The Echo: “I welcome progress being made on deepening Cork’s relationship with Palestine and I commend the council and the Lord Mayor for the continued work on this. Further meaningful connections and twinning would be beneficial to Cork and Palestine, and there is huge support and affinity in Cork for the people of Palestine.”