Polish Sopot breaks partnership with Ashkelon — as it once did with a Russian city

The city of Sopot on the Baltic Sea has announced the termination of its partnership with Israeli Ashkelon. The wording is harsh: the municipality stated that it cannot maintain ties with a city located near Gaza and, according to activists, associated with “genocide.” The decision was made quickly, although the process had been dragging on since the first weeks of the war.

Sopot and Ashkelon signed a twinning agreement back in 1993, and for many years the relationship was considered stable. But local groups supporting the Palestinian campaign began demanding the termination of the agreement immediately after the escalation in the region. Behind the scenes, it was said that the pressure was serious, and it was this wave, rather than official arguments, that moved the issue onto the agenda.

One of the key initiators was city council member Barbara Brzeznicka. Initially, her proposal did not pass — there were not enough votes, and the situation seemed uncertain. Later, she gathered supporters around her, Amnesty International activists joined in, and online campaigns were launched. Then the situation changed — the council had to return to the discussion.

The presented document stated that the termination of cooperation would be a noticeable political gesture. The wording was sharp, without diplomatic reservations. The text asserted that Sopot must confirm its reputation as a city that speaks about human rights not only in slogans.

Within Poland, the decision has already sparked a discussion — partly because Sopot previously severed relations with a Russian city after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Now local observers are debating whether the comparison of the two situations is appropriate and how politically useful it is in the Polish context.

For the Israeli side, this is yet another signal: European municipalities are increasingly acting under the pressure of local activist groups. The break does not directly affect foreign policy but creates informational noise around Israel and affects the perception of the country at the municipal level in the EU. All this is noted by our editorial team, continuing to work with open sources and local reports — NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency