Boulder, Colorado makes Nablus a sister city

The local council in Boulder, Colorado, votes to make the West Bank city of Nablus its eighth international sister city.

Its 7-2 vote comes three years after a council decision against entering into a formal relationship with Nablus and years of heated debate over the issue. The council identifies Nablus as being in “Palestine.”

Illustrative: Soldiers patrolling near Nablus. (IDF Spokesperson's Unit/Flash90) — Illustrative: Soldiers patrolling near Nablus. (IDF Spokesperson’s Unit/Flash90)

The Colorado Jewish Community Relations Council says in a statement that it was “deeply disappointed” with the December 13 decision.

“While, on the surface, there is nothing wrong with creating a relationship with any city anywhere in the world, the fact that Nablus is inextricably linked with anti-Israel activism cannot be ignored,” the JCRC says. “Appropriately, the City Council’s approval was made with an assurance that both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia would not be tolerated in Boulder.”

— JTA