Source: City of Preston
In March 2025, Preston City Council Cabinet Members chose the City of Hebron in Palestine to explore the possibilities of an informal friendship agreement between the two cities.
The Council wants to extend the hand of friendship as a symbol of our support for the people of Palestine, through the wider Middle East and those of all faiths and communities who are suffering through conflict across the globe.
At full council today (26 June 2025), members passed the recommendation to enter into a friendship arrangement with the City of Hebron facilitated by the Britain Palestinian Friendship and Twinning Network.
The network is a voluntary organisation with no political ties, made up of a network of different groups with different activities, constitutions, sizes, locations and members.
Preston is a City of Sanctuary, offering a safe place of refuge to those fleeing war and persecution across the world, and an early adopter of the Faith Covenant, respecting differing beliefs and faiths, working together for the common good.
The progression of the friendship will be supported by an informal network of representatives of interested parties and initially chaired by the Council’s Champion for Communities. All representatives of the Faith Covenant will be invited to sit on this network, as will other key representatives from public, civic, education and private business organisations.
Hebron is considered one of the oldest cities in the Middle East, located in the southern part of the Occupied West Bank, 30 kilometres (19 miles) south of Jerusalem. It has a population of more than 201,000 and is believed to have lots of commonalities with Preston including a multi-cultural and diverse population. Hebron is a chief commercial and industrial centre in the region with its main trade in limestone from nearby quarries and with a local reputation for grapes, figs, ceramics, plastics and pottery.
Councillor Matthew Brown, Leader of Preston City Council said:
“A friendship arrangement with Hebron is not merely a symbolic gesture. We will do what we can to offer practical support and aid, and seek to build links between local schools, churches, mosques, community centres and other types of organisations. We will promote the need for peace to prevail and hopefully after the conflict in the region ends, we can arrange visits to both Palestine and Preston to promote greater understanding, lasting peace and friendship for all.”
Councillor Nweeda Khan, Champion for Communities added:
“We appreciate the complexity and emotive nature of this proposal but feel we owe it to our local communities to recognise the plight of people in the Middle East caught up in the current conflict. The spirit in which we would like to progress our friendship with Hebron is that by building bonds and strengthening ties, lasting relationships built on understanding, openness, tolerance and inclusion will eradicate hate and division between communities.”
The Council also remains committed to exploring a similar friendship with an Israeli town or city, should a similar body to the Palestinian Friendship Association can be indentified to help guide and support our work.