Preston to strike 'friendship' deal with Palestinian city

Preston is to enter into a friendship agreement with the Palestinian city of Hebron.

- by Paul Faulkner

The partnership with the Middle Eastern territory will be finalised by Preston City Council after it was backed by a majority of elected members.

It will commit the two cities to forging practical and cultural links designed to draw them closer together.

The authority began the search for a suitable friendship partner early last year in response to a call from 14 of Preston's mosques in the wake of the conflict in Gaza.

The city council announced in March that it had alighted upon Hebron, which is in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

A report presented to a meeting of the full council on Thursday said some other possibilities were not pursued "largely because of current active conflict in the town, city or area, which would make meaningful contact and engagement impossible".

Nevertheless, during an impassioned debate, it was the plight of the people of war-torn Gaza that dominated.

However, a minority of councillors expressed concern that the city was involving itself in a region riven with conflict - and could even be seen to be taking one side over the other.

Labour council leader Matthew Brown acknowledged the "complexity and the emotive nature" of the proposal, but sought to root the idea in a desire to show support for the Palestinian community in Preston itself.