Oxford City Council flew the flag of Palestine from the Town Hall last week to mark an official visit from the Mayor of Ramallah Issa Kassis. During the visit last Tuesday, Mayor Kassis met with Oxford’s Lord Mayor, Councillor Louise Upton, and City Council Leader Councillor Susan Brown. The Palestinian Ambassador Husam Zomlot, who went to university near Ramallah, was also in attendance.
Ramallah, a city in the central West Bank, has been twinned with Oxford since 2019. Members of the Oxford Ramallah Friendship Association (ORFA), which campaigned for 17 years to twin the two cities, invited Mayor Kassis to a committee meeting in the course of his visit. ORFA co-ordinates youth exchanges, educational visits, and trade union collaboration between the cities, among other ties.
Mayor Kassis said: “We are truly grateful for the historic friendship and partnership between Ramallah and Oxford, grounded in mutual respect and solidarity. It was an honor to visit Oxford and strengthen the ties between our cities and explore how we may continue working together in the spirit of solidarity and shared values.”
Mayor Kassis also met with local faith groups and councillors at the Rose Hill Community Centre, which displayed the Ramallah Municipality flag to mark the occasion.
An ORFA spokesperson told Cherwell: “We were very pleased to partner with Oxford City Council in welcoming Mayor Issa Kassis to Oxford this week. Over 60 people attended a celebratory reception at Rose Hill Community Centre.
“Civic events of this type are invaluable in developing supportive bonds between our cities. We hope that Oxford can be a beacon for the promotion of mutual understanding, solidarity and cooperation between UK [sic.] and Palestine.”
Councillor Louise Upton, Oxford’s Lord Mayor, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome the Mayor of Ramallah to Oxford. Our two cities share a long history of friendship, formalised when we became twin cities in 2019. This visit was an important opportunity to reaffirm our connection and explore new ways to work together at a challenging time in Palestine’s history.”
Oxford City Council has passed a number of motions in support of Palestine in recent years. This March, the Council passed a motion in support of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Inspired by the movement against South African apartheid, BDS aims to challenge “international support for Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism”.
