Hackney Council delays 7 October Haifa twinning FOI request Hackney 2026

Key Points

• Hackney Council has delayed its response to a Freedom of Information request from Jewish News by 20 working days.
• The council is considering using Section 36 of the FOI Act to withhold internal emails and WhatsApp messages about a 7 October deadline.
• Green Party Mayor Zoë Garbett set 7 October 2026—the third anniversary of the Hamas attack—for Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav to respond to plans to end the cities’ 58-year twinning agreement.
• Representatives from the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council called the choice of date “appalling,” “crass,” and “shockingly insensitive.”
• Mayor Garbett later sent a second letter apologizing for what she called a “deeply regretful oversight.”
• The Green Party’s 2026 local election manifesto promised greater transparency and public accountability in Hackney government.

Hackney council (East London Time) August 28, 2026 – Hackney Council is considering withholding internal correspondence regarding its decision to set the third anniversary of the 7 October Hamas terrorist attacks as the deadline for an Israeli city to respond to plans to end their long-standing twinning arrangement, despite a Freedom of Information request submitted by Jewish News.

As reported by Daniel Sugarman of Jewish News, the Green-controlled local authority confirmed on Wednesday, 27 August 2026, that it was extending its deadline to respond to the newspaper’s transparency request by a further 20 working days. The council stated that it is currently evaluating the Public Interest Test (PIT) to determine whether to apply Exemption Section 36 of the Freedom of Information Act, which relates to the “Prejudice to the Effective Conduct of Public Affairs”.

The underlying request, submitted last month by Jewish News, seeks all internal emails, WhatsApp messages, and official communications between council officers, elected members, and external parties regarding three specific matters: the letter dispatched to Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav, the inclusion of the 7 October deadline within that official correspondence, and the establishment of the detwinning consultation window ending on that precise date.

What caused the initial controversy over the Hackney-Haifa twinning link?

The dispute stems from a vote held in July 2026 by Hackney Council—where the Green Party secured an overwhelming majority during the local elections in May 2026—to initiate formal proceedings to end the London borough’s civic ties with Haifa, Israel.

Following the vote, the newly elected Mayor of Hackney, Zoë Garbett, sent a formal letter to Yona Yahav, Mayor of Haifa, outlining the decision. As reported by Daniel Sugarman of Jewish News, Mayor Garbett stated in her correspondence:

“Hackney and Haifa have shared a civic bond since 1968; however, in my view the relationship no longer reflects the strategic priorities of the council.”

Mayor Garbett added:

“As the directly elected Mayor, I wish to be transparent about my administration’s direction, as set out in my party’s manifesto: my administration is seeking to conclude this chapter of our civic history.

“Given the ongoing humanitarian crisis, and the gravity of the UN Commission of Inquiry Reports concluding Israel has committed genocide, maintaining a civic connection in Israel is at odds with our anti-racist values. The Council stands up for human rights and wants to ensure our global connections reflect our shared core values. We want active, ethical partnerships that champion peace.”

Mayor Garbett concluded her letter by inviting the Haifa administration to submit its formal representations on the proposed termination by email, setting the initial deadline as 7 October 2026.

How did Jewish community organisations react to the 7 October deadline?

The publication of the letter triggered intense criticism across Jewish community groups, who highlighted that 7 October marks the anniversary of the 2023 Hamas attacks in which over 1,200 people were killed and hundreds taken hostage in southern Israel.

As reported by Daniel Sugarman of Jewish News, Phil Rosenberg, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, issued a sharp statement:

“Whether this was deliberate or the product of staggering insensitivity, it is an appalling choice of date. That nobody involved in drafting or approving a letter about Israel recognised its significance speaks volumes about Hackney Greens’ attitude towards this issue and their local Jewish community.”

Similarly, a spokesperson for the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) condemned the communication:

“This is crass and shockingly insensitive. In choosing this date of all days as a deadline, the Mayor of Hackney has taken her politics of division a step further in a sickening attempt to mock and torment Israelis in their grief, and bringing insult to the memory of those murdered and kidnapped by Hamas on 7 October.”

What was Mayor Zoë Garbett’s response to the criticism?

Following the public backlash, Mayor Garbett issued a clarification and a second letter to Mayor Yahav. As reported by Jewish News, Mayor Garbett acknowledged the error, describing the choice of date as a “deeply regretful oversight” and offering her sincere apologies.

A spokesperson for Hackney Council told Jewish News:

“We originally set the consultation to run for 10 weeks on the consultation platform. As soon as we noticed this error, we changed the closing date.”

The consultation deadline was subsequently amended to 14 October 2026.

How does the Freedom of Information delay align with the Green Party’s manifesto pledges?

The decision to delay the release of internal correspondence and evaluate public interest exemptions has drawn scrutiny regarding the administration’s commitments to openness.

As reported by Daniel Sugarman of Jewish News, the Hackney Green Party explicitly pledged in its 2026 local election manifesto:

“We will bring greater participation, transparency, communication and accountability back to Hackney’s local government.”

Furthermore, during her 2023 Mayoral campaign pledges, Mayor Zoë Garbett’s opening statement included a firm commitment “to open the council up to more public scrutiny”. The council’s reliance on Section 36 extensions under the FOI Act allows an additional 20 working days to determine whether releasing internal discussion logs would harm internal council deliberations.

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Background of the Development

The civic partnership between the London Borough of Hackney and the Israeli port city of Haifa was formally established in 1968 to promote municipal cooperation, cultural understanding, and civic exchanges. Over the past three decades, the primary practical element of the arrangement involved medical exchange programmes between Homerton University Hospital in Hackney and the Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa. These reciprocal clinical exchanges had been suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and remained dormant prior to the recent council debates.

Following the escalation of conflict in the Middle East in October 2023, local political groups and advocacy organisations, including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), campaigned for the council to sever ties. While the previous Labour administration resisted calls to end the agreement, the Green Party included a proposal to review and terminate the Haifa twinning link within its election platform. Following the May 2026 local elections, in which the Green Party took control of the council, the administration moved forward with full council debates and formal motions to end the historic partnership, citing international human rights reports and alignment with municipal ethics.

Prediction: How this development could affect local governance and community relations in Hackney

The potential withholding of internal council communications regarding the 7 October deadline is likely to intensify friction between Hackney Council, local opposition members, and community leadership groups.

If Section 36 exemptions are formally applied to block the release of internal emails and messages, the decision could weaken public confidence in the local authority’s commitments to administrative transparency and open governance. Opponents and local watchdog organisations may argue that withholding the records prevents full public accountability regarding whether the controversial deadline was an administrative error or a deliberate political decision.

Furthermore, ongoing debates surrounding international policy and civic detwinning risk worsening ideological and social divides within the borough. For local Jewish residents and civic groups, the prolonged dispute over the consultation process may deepen feelings of marginalisation and mistrust toward the local administration. Conversely, for campaign groups advocating for the severance of ties with Israeli institutions, any delays or legal disputes over FOI disclosures could prolong political friction surrounding the final council vote on the Haifa agreement.