Hackney Mayor Zoe Garbett has drawn sharp criticism for setting an October 7 deadline for the Israeli city of Haifa to respond to plans to sever a nearly 60-year-old twinning agreement. The date coincides with the anniversary of the Hamas attacks in Israel.
Garbett, the first Green Party mayor elected in Hackney, formally wrote to Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav on Wednesday, stating the council had agreed in principle to terminate the partnership and all associated municipal ties. The letter, seen by The Daily Mail, invited Mayor Yahav to share his views by October 7.
Accusations of "staggering insensitivity," "provocative," "crass," and "sinister" have been leveled against Garbett. Lord Pickles, former UK Government Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues, called the decision "either provocative or insensitive crassness," adding, "Either way, it is a new low for the Greens."
The Board of Deputies of British Jews described the date as "appalling," questioning if "nobody involved in drafting or approving a letter about Israel recognised its significance." The Jewish Leadership Council stated it was "crass and shockingly insensitive" and a "sickening attempt to mock and torment Israelis in their grief."
Nivi Feldman, former head of the UK Hostages and Missing Families Forum, called for Garbett's resignation, saying, "At a time when hostages and their families are still trying to heal from unimaginable trauma, and antisemitism continues to rise across the UK, Hackney Council has chosen division over dialogue."
Martin Sugarman, chair of the Hackney Anglo Israel Friendship Association, stated that if the date was deliberate, it was "vile and sinister," and if an error, it demonstrated a "staggering" lack of awareness, demanding accountability.
Mayor Garbett has a history of advocating for the cessation of ties with Israel. In October 2025, she seconded a motion calling for Hackney Council to cut all ties with "genocidal Israel." She also faced controversy earlier this year for blocking a letter praising police officers who responded to an antisemitic knife attack, questioning their protocols.
A Hackney Council spokesperson confirmed the consultation deadline would be changed, apologizing for the "insensitivity of the original closing date." The spokesperson stated the consultation was initially set for 10 weeks on the platform and the date was altered as soon as the error was noticed.
Haifa is recognized as a progressive and diverse city in northern Israel, often cited as a model of Arab-Jewish coexistence. Garbett's letter cited "the ongoing humanitarian crisis, and the gravity of the UN Commission of Inquiry Reports concluding Israel has committed genocide" as reasons for ending the relationship, asserting that maintaining a civic connection with Israel was "at odds with our anti-racist values."