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Councillors on Newry, Mourne and Down District Council have agreed to explore twinning Newry with the Palestinian city of Ramallah following a notice of motion from Newry City Councillor Killian Feehan. Speaking on his proposal initiated by a letter from Derry and Strabane Council regarding violence in Gaza, Cllr Feehan said "I believe that formally twinning Newry with the City of Ramallah, Palestine’s administrative capital, would make it clear to the people of Palestine that we stand in solidarity with them, that we recognise their suffering, and that we share their pain." The proposal was passed with 29 for, 5 against and 1 abstention.
Council will now write to the Mayor of Ramallah Issa Kassis to initiate the twinning process.
Councillor Feehan said “The scenes coming from Palestine continue to horrify people on a daily basis. To date, over 30,000 men, women and children have been killed, while others live under constant bombardment, without enough food, running water or medicine. The SDLP has been resolute in its call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and the delivery of humanitarian aid."
The Newry councillor continued “The vast majority of us feel a profound sense of despair not knowing what can be done to meaningfully support the Palestinian people. That is why I brought this proposal forward."
“Alongside peers from across our local area, I have spent considerable time in Palestine over the last 10 years, and during that time, it has been clear to all that a mutual respect exists between both cultures and that there are clear overlaps in both perspectives and experiences. I believe that by leading on the process of twinning the cities of Newry and Ramallah, we can publicly embrace the Palestinian people and stand shoulder to shoulder with them in front of the world."
He concluded “Twin-city relationships came to prominence during the Second World War, when the concept emerged as a way of establishing solidarity links between cities that endured similar hardships or devastating events. The simple rationale behind such twinning was that 'little help is better than big sympathy'. That sums up the motivation behind my proposal."
Newry Councillor Cathal King added "It's been great to see strong solidarity shown in all councils across the island. As you all know, it's just unbelievable what is taking place right in front of everyone. Humanitarian displacement that is happening will be unimaginable and it is unimaginable. The genocide need to end now. A ceasefire needs to happen."
