Gaza twinning bid is taken off the agenda
A petition calling for Edinburgh to be twinned with the Palestinian city of Gaza was pulled from the agenda of the city’s council’s policy and sustainability committee at short notice.
It is understood the move followed approaches first from an organisation UK Lawyers for Israel and then by the Israeli authorities.
When the meeting began yesterdayan official of Edinburgh City Council told councillors the item had been withdrawn from the committee agenda to allow officers to “give full consideration to legal matters raised since publication of the agenda”.
Campaigner Pete Gregson, who submitted the petition, said he had been told of the withdrawal at 5pm on Monday, just 17 hours before the meeting.
And he quoted council leader Adam Mcvey as saying: "The Israeli authorities have challenged any consideration of the matter, even to negatively consider, as unlawful, on grounds it “could” support Hamas, a listed terrorist organisation. It’s ridiculous conjecture.”
Mr Gregson said: “The Israeli intervention was prompted by the UK Lawyers for Israel threat of last Thursday which warned councillors that if they went ahead and twinned, they could be facing 14 years in prison.
“Israel is undermining our democracy with threats, stopping friendly relations between cities.”
Mr Gregson says that twinning with Gaza would be a fundamentally humanitarian act because the city had been under siege for 15 years.
A council spokesperson said: “The report was withdrawn from the agenda so legal advice can be taken.”