Leader of Brent Council accused of ‘sectarianism’ by Jewish community leaders

After the meeting, London Jewish Forum Co-chair Amanda Bowman said it was “more than disappointing. While Brent Council has asked the Brent-Nablus Association to continue consulting, it has chosen not to pause implementation or reconsider its position. That is not meaningful engagement – it’s a box-ticking exercise.”

Jewish residents of Brent, she said, “deserve better than symbolic gestures that ignore their concerns. We remain open to dialogue, but real trust is built through action, not afterthought.”

The Jewish delegation highlighted the claim that no Jewish organisations were consulted during the Equalities Impact Assessment and that previous warnings that the move could prove divisive were dismissed.

Concern was also raised over the public display of images of armed militants in the town’s centre and the fact that many Brent residents, such as those belonging to the Jewish or LGBT+ communities, would not be welcome there.

President of the Board of Deputies, Phil Rosenberg, expressed his frustration following the meeting and called into question the borough’s commitment to social cohesion.

“Brent Council’s long record of active support for community cohesion is now very much in question,” he said. “The proposed twinning will do nothing for peace in the region but risks the good relations of diverse communities in Brent. We want to see our council focused on addressing our significant shared local challenges without embarking on misplaced initiatives relating to international affairs. We urge the council to step back from sectarianism.”

Pro-Palestinian activists at Brent Civic Centre after attending the council meeting on July 7[Missing Credit]

 

Speaking passionately against the twinning on Monday in front of Brent Council, members of the public and a large gathering of anti-Israel activists, Jewish Brent resident Ian Collier said he represented “a very large group of Brent residents who are utterly opposed and very upset” with it.

He claimed Nablus is a “hotbed of militancy, of hatred, of racism, of terrorism, and is the home of the notorious Lion’s Den terror group”, and the motion to twin with the town has brought the council and borough “into disrepute”.

A Brent Council spokesperson said: “We want to thank representatives of Brent’s Jewish community for meeting with the Leader of the Council to share their concerns respectfully. We deeply value the long and storied contribution of our Jewish residents to civic life in Brent, and we remain committed to fostering good relations between all of Brent’s diverse communities.

“This is not a box-ticking exercise for us, the twinning with Nablus is about promoting peace, cultural exchange and mutual understanding. It does not endorse any ideological belief and builds on a tradition of towns and cities forming international civic links to foster understanding and build bridges.

“We acknowledge the anxieties raised and the council will continue to listen and engage as the proposals are developed.”