The Mayor of Ramallah, Issa Kassis, visited Oxford on Tuesday 9 December, accompanied by Ambassador Husam Zomlot (who is from Ramallah), to reaffirm the formal twinning between the two cities and explore new areas of cooperation.
The visit included a committee discussion with the Oxford Ramallah Friendship Association (OFRA), which has supported links between the two communities for many years, followed by a meeting at Oxford Town Hall with the Lord Mayor of Oxford Cllr Louise Upton and City Council Leader Cllr Susan Brown. The day concluded with a community reception at Rose Hill Community Centre, where Mayor Kassis spoke with local faith groups, community representatives and councillors.
- Date of visit: Tuesday 9 December
- Locations: Oxford Town Hall; Rose Hill Community Centre; meetings with Oxford Ramallah Friendship Association (OFRA)
What twinning means here
Oxford and Ramallah have been formally twinned since 2019, following a 17-year friendship fostered by OFRA. The cities share similarities in population size, strong education and healthcare institutions, active civil society groups and historic markets. Under the 2019 Twinning Agreement, Oxford Ramallah Twinning (part of OFRA) coordinates:
- youth exchanges and educational visits
- dance and theatre performances
- trade union and environmental collaborations
Ramallah is one of Oxford’s seven twin cities, alongside Bonn (Germany), Leiden (Netherlands), León (Nicaragua), Grenoble (France), Wrocław (Poland) and Padua (Italy). Town twinning began after the Second World War as a way to rebuild relationships between European communities.
Council context
Oxford City Council has previously passed motions relating to the Palestinian cause, including (in November 2023) calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and for the council to cease investing in/trading with companies it considers implicated in state violence and oppression, war and occupation, and grave human rights violations.
To mark the visit, the Council said it would fly the Palestinian flag from Oxford Town Hall on Wednesday 10 December. The Ramallah Municipality flag was also displayed at Rose Hill Community Centre.
What they said
Cllr Louise Upton, Lord Mayor of Oxford
“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 is a proudly international, welcoming and diverse city, and our friendship with Ramallah reflects our commitment to international cooperation and community partnership. Meeting in person really creates a bond between people and this visit helps to foster closer connections between our communities.”
Issa Kassis, Mayor of Ramallah
“We are truly grateful for the historic friendship and partnership between Ramallah and Oxford, grounded in mutual respect and solidarity. It was an honour 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.”
At a glance
- Who: Issa Kassis (Mayor of Ramallah), Ambassador Husam Zomlot; hosted by Oxford’s Lord Mayor Cllr Louise Upton and Council Leader Cllr Susan Brown
- Organiser/partner: Oxford Ramallah Friendship Association (OFRA) / Oxford Ramallah Twinning
- Why: Reinforce formal twinning (2019) and long-standing civic, cultural and educational links
- Community reception: Rose Hill Community Centre (faith and community groups, councillors)
- Symbolic gestures: Palestinian flag to fly at Town Hall on 10 Dec; Ramallah flag displayed at Rose Hill
