Councillors support plan to twin Cork city with Nablus

Members of Cork City Council have voted to support ongoing moves to twin Cork with the city of Nablus, which is located in Palestine’s occupied West Bank.

The vote, which took place at last week’s council meeting, arose from a motion by former Labour Party councillor, and now senator, Laura Harmon: “That this council will seek the establishment of a twinning mechanism with a city in Palestine and Cork city”.

Located approximately 30 miles north of Jerusalem on the West Bank, Nablus is a predominantly Muslim city with a population of 157,000 people and is home to the al-Najah University.

The West Bank is the larger of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the Gaza Strip, and both make up the Palestinian state and have been occupied by Israel since 1967.

Sentiments

Speaking on the motion to twin Cork with Nablus, Green Party councillor Oliver Moran said proceeding with it would reflect the sentiments expressed each week at the peace protests held in the city.

He added that twinning with a Palestinian city would help to normalise relations in the wake of Ireland’s recognition of the state of Palestine.

“Motions like this are very important for normalising the state of Palestine, [it] is a normal place, normal people, who deserve dignity, who deserve peace, and who deserve the protection of the international community."

Labour Party councillor Peter Horgan welcomed the work of Cork City Council’s international relations committee, and he noted the possibility of a visit to Cork by a youth orchestra from Nablus.

“When we think of our own youth orchestra in Cork, and the fact that it is also a university town, we have two universities in UCC and MTU, that there isn’t a lot to differentiate us from the people of Palestine, and — as councillor Moran has said, they deserve dignity and respect in this heinous war being waged against them,” he said.