Polish city breaks ties with 'Israel' over Gaza war

The popular Polish Baltic coast resort city of Sopot has officially terminated its sister-city partnership with the 'Israeli' city of Ashkelon, becoming the first municipality in Poland to fully sever ties with an 'Israeli' counterpart over the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The decision, passed by a vote of the city council on Thursday, adopts the language of a resolution that explicitly cites the “genocide in Gaza.”

A Strong Political Gesture

The partnership between Sopot and Ashkelon had been in place since 1993. The move to end it was initiated by a municipal councillor from the left-wing Together (Razem) party, Barbara Brzezicka, and was successfully advanced through a civic initiative that gathered the necessary signatures from local residents.

The text of the resolution passed by the council stated that:

“Israel has been carrying out full-scale ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip... which has already claimed tens of thousands of victims, including approximately 20,000 children. The crimes committed by Hamas do not constitute any justification for the systematic extermination of the civilian population in Gaza.”

Proponents of the resolution argued that ending the partnership was a “strong political gesture” necessary to demonstrate that Sopot’s official designation as a “city of human rights” was not an empty slogan. 

Council Division and National Context

The vote was not unanimous, passing with nine council members in favor and six against. Opponents of the measure argued that a suspension of cooperation, rather than a permanent break, would have been a more appropriate step, maintaining a channel for dialogue with the 'Israeli' side.

This development in Sopot is the most decisive step taken by a Polish local authority regarding the Gaza aggression. While another Polish city, Tczew, voted in September to suspend its relations with Lev Hasharon in 'Israel', Sopot is the first to completely cut ties.

At the national level, the conflict continues to spark political debate. While Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has expressed Poland's continued support for 'Israel' in its confrontation with "Islamic terrorism," he has also stated that Poland would "never [be] on the side of politicians whose actions lead to hunger and the death of mothers and children."