Council aims to build understanding through new Palestine link
Portsmouth’s official friendship link with Birzeit, Palestine, aims to “reach beyond borders and politics to build genuine understanding and hope”.
Portsmouth City Council’s Liberal Democrat cabinet has formally approved the new arrangement with the Palestinian town.
The decision to pursue a link with a Palestinian community was intended to balance the city’s long-standing sister-city relationship with Haifa, Israel, which has been in place since 1963.
Addressing councillors, Christine Elember, a member of the Palestine Twinning Network, noted that while Portsmouth and other cities often twin for economic and cultural reasons, “you’ve also linked with places purely for solidarity and friendship”.
She said such friendship is “really important at the moment for the people of Palestine”.
Elember added that much of “our media” only portrays Palestinians as “numbers”, such as the “number of people killed”, the number of olive groves “burnt and ruined”, or the number of people “terrorised out of their houses”. The friendship link, she said, can help both Portsmouth and Birzeit “get to know people as human beings”.
She described Birzeit as a small town “that punches above its weight”, home to a “state of the art museum” and a university with links to Yale and Imperial College London.
She also highlighted that the town is predominantly Christian, with Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox churches. “I know there are congregations here that would like to make links there,” she added.
Councillor Chris Atwell described twinning arrangements as “Partnerships that reach beyond borders and politics to build genuine understanding and hope”.
He said the link with Birzeit will “challenge assumptions”, just as Portsmouth did in “1948, when conversations began with Duisberg to bring our people together”.
Councillor Matthew Winnington, a member of the Campaign for Real Ale, drew attention to the Birzeit Brewery, known for its signature “Shepherds” range of beers. He noted that breweries “these days love to do collaborations”, highlighting the “thriving” craft brewing sector in Portsmouth.
Councillor Hugh Mason, who visited Birzeit “many years ago”, considered the link appropriate given the significance of the university and similarities between the “mixed” populations of Birzeit and Haifa.
“Here we have in Birzeit one of the most diverse communities in the whole of Palestine – this is the most appropriate place we could make a link with.”
Councillor Steve Pitt, leader of the council, asked officers about funding, noting that “People say the council is spending vast amounts of money on these things”.
Officers clarified that there is no “direct budget provision for twinning”, and that external funding and grants are typically used, with existing budgets drawn upon “as a last resort”.