‘Ridiculous’ Hackney councillors draw criticism over meeting to ‘berate Israel’ despite Gaza ceasefire

— Hackney Independent Socialist Group (@HackneyIndSG) October 7, 2025

The council overwhelmingly rejected attempts to end the 50-year-old relationship between Israel’s third largest city and the east London borough – which is home to a large population of Jewish people – less than a year ago.

Similarly, and despite the presence of an encampment of pro-Palestine activists outside the town hall calling for tougher actions against Israel, the council rejected a motion to boycott Israel in July last year.

Hackney council’s website confirms that an “extraordinary council meeting” meeting is scheduled to take place on the date advertised but has not yet released any agenda for the meeting.

The Jewish Leadership Council has lambasted the councillors’ “ridiculous” behaviour and warned such “gesture politics” risked further stoking antisemitism in the UK in the wake of last week’s terror attack in Manchester.

“Hackney councillors will be well aware that local authorities have no remit in foreign affairs so it is ridiculous that they would hold an extraordinary meeting to berate Israel,” the group’s public affairs director, Russell Langer, told the JC.

He added: “Two years into this conflict, we have seen the dangerous impact it has had emboldening antisemites here in the UK. Councils, such as Hackney, should be looking at how to address this hatred in their area rather than playing gesture politics.”

According to the 2021 census data, just under seven per cent of residents in the Borough of Hackney – which contains parts of Stamford Hill, home to a large strictly Orthodox community – are Jewish.

Since the start of the conflict in Gaza, Hackney council had to remove an “extremely offensive” mural in a heavily Jewish part of the borough which glorified “intifada” and included the words “exist is to resist”.

It portrayed figures with their faces obscured in keffiyehs against a backdrop of what appears to be fire and a Palestinian flag.

A CST spokesperson said at the time: “This kind of extremist incitement will undoubtedly frighten and intimidate the community. It should be removed as soon as possible and condemned, and the police should investigate who is responsible for it.”

In another incident of “extremist incitement” where the conflict in Gaza was  used to intimidate Jewish residents, a sticker saying “Zionists F*** Off”, “solidarity means attack” and “Free Palestine” was seen in a heavily Jewish part of Hackney.

Despite the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, brokered by US President Donald Trump, Hackney Council confirmed that the meeting would still go ahead.

"An extraordinary meeting of Council has been called in accordance with the Council's Constitution following receipt of a written request submitted by six councillors. The Council is bound to follow the rules of its Constitution whilst abiding by other duties as set out in law. Details of the meeting will be published in due course”, a spokesperson said.

Campaign group the TaxPayers’ Alliance questioned whether an extraordinary meeting to discuss a foreign conflict was an appropriate use of local government funds.

Jonathan Eida, a researcher at the organisation, said: “Squandering council time and taxpayer money on discussing foreign conflicts is completely inappropriate.”

"Hackney councillors have repeatedly tried to use public meetings for political theatre rather than focusing on core local services. This is a blatant misuse of public resources and a dereliction of their responsibilities.

"Councils must stop this nonsense and stick to their proper remit”, he added.