Oxford welcomes Mayor of Ramallah and Palestinian Ambassador
On Tuesday 9th December 2025 ORFA and Oxford City Council hosted an historic visit of the Mayor of Ramallah, Issa Kassis, to Oxford. He was accompanied by Palestine’s Ambassador to the UK, Dr Husam Zomlot.
ORFA worked closely with Oxford City Council to organise this very successful and productive evening reception at the Rose Hill Community Centre for the Mayor of Ramallah City in the West Bank, Issa Kassis and his colleague, Mr Ahmed AbuLaban, Ramallah City Director. They were in the UK for the Resilient Cities Summit in London.
They came to Oxford on Tuesday 9th December on the invitation of Oxford Mayor Cllr Louise Upton and Council Leader Cllr Susan Brown to further the positive twinning relationship that the two cities have forged over several years.
We also had the honour of greeting the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, Dr Husam Zomlot who accompanied them from London.
Highlights and statements from the Meeting:
Samia Shibli [pictured] welcomed everyone to the reception – in Arabic and English - on behalf of ORFA.
Then Oxford Mayor Cllr Louise Upton addressed the Mayor of Ramallah:
“Meeting you in person makes the bond feel very real.”
“I hope that the Twinning with you gives a very strong statement to the world that we stand with you.”
“I couldn’t be happier to welcome you here today.”
“This relationship we have has been built on the work that ORFA has been doing.”
“We hope the twinning can be just as beneficial to you as it is to us in Oxford - it enriches us.”
This was met with loud applause.
Ramallah Mayor Issa Kassis in reply:
“Our visit today has different colours and shapes and unexpected outcomes and putting in agreements means a lot. And a commitment, an unwavering commitment both ways, commitment to learn and to share and show what Palestine looks like. We very much appreciate the long, strong relationship with this beautiful city.”
“Life in Ramallah it's full of hope and of life because we want to live for the country. And we want the world to feel our self determination to have our independent state on our sovereign soil with East Jerusalem as our capital. This is in the DNA of every Palestinian. To tell the world that we are not animals and we are not terrorists. We are educated people and we do not want to bring anything but good to the world and we want to be good citizens of the world.”
“It is through you that we reach people.”
“If we do not twin with cities globally, we will not form human relationships.”
Standing Ovation followed by gifts from the Mayor to ORFA’s representatives: Nikki Marriot and Samia Shibli
Samia Shibli reminded the audience of the ongoing situation in Gaza and introduces ORFA’s Winter Appeal for Defence for Children International - Palestine (DCIP)
Ambassador to the UK, Dr Husam Zomlot called for special thanks to ORFA members who enabled the twinning to be realised over several years and to the City Council.
“I am proud of what you have done today and that the flag of Palestine will fly proudly in Oxford tomorrow.”
Loud Cheering.
Final words from Ambassador Husam Zomlot:
“I have just one message for you, Gaza is not going anywhere, and the people of Gaza are not going anywhere.”
“And maybe Israel has had a military victory, but it has had a strategic defeat and one of the factors of the strategic defeat is you and the international public opinion”.
“To ensure our agreement is taken we have to take it forward Mayor and build the relationship because nothing is stronger than friendship - it is a political act of tying our destiny together as two cities and two people”.
The Oxford Dabke Group then ran an informal Dabke Dance class after the speeches which was much appreciated by adults, children and families attending the reception.
The council paid for the delicious food, which was provided by Za'atar Bake, 166 Cowley Road, OX4 1UE
Life under the siege
Interview on BBC Radio Oxford with Mohammed Al Habil, a student doctor from Gaza, on life under the siege. Listen here
Monday 30th October
Armistice Day in Oxford 2023
Councillor Lubna Arshad, Mayor of Oxford City, made a powerful speech on Armistice Day.
Keeping in contact with our friends in Ramallah
Since the beginning of the attacks on 7 October we have been keeping in regular contact with our friends in Ramallah and showing our support in any way we can.
Refugees in our own Homeland
Visit to Oxford 29 June to 10 July 2023
Seven individuals linked to the Women's Centre in Al Am'ari Camp visited Oxford this summer. The group included two young people from the Al Am'ari UNRWA school.
The visit helped strengthen the links with Ramallah and deepened our understanding of the challenges people in Palestine currently face. It gave a unique opportunity for the young people and the women involved to share their stories, skills and rich culture and to gain insights and connections with local people and groups in Oxford.
Highlights of the visit:
‘Refugees in our own Homeland’
Public meeting, Oxford Town Hall, Thursday 6th July
A film of life in Al Am'ari refugee camp and speakers from the Women’s Centre
Flo's - The Place in the Park - Friday 7th July
A chance to meet with our friends from Ramallah in a relaxed, informal setting, with food and music. Oxford residents took part in a hand stitching workshop led by skilled embroiderers from Ramallah, and enjoyed some energetic dabke dancing.
‘Pieces of Me’
Pitt Rivers Museum Saturday 8th July. 12-4pm
Pop-up exhibition of historical pieces from Palestine and Palestinian History Tapestry
Cllr Mark Lygo on his visit to Ramallah
ORFA hosted a meeting in the Town Hall in 2022 to hear Cllr Mark Lygo speak about his recent visit to Ramallah. Sharing stories about the people he met, he said he wanted to encourage an exchange of cultures between Ramallah and Oxford, with further visits from both sides. He told members of Mandala Theatre Company, who would visit Ramallah in July, that 'you can achieve peace with storytelling'.
Avi Shlaim, ORFA Patron, spoke at the meeting, briefly giving some political and historical background about the situation for people in Palestine. He said ’the only hope for Palestinians lies in law, politics and civil change. Palestinians are normal people who want what normal people everywhere want, which is to live in peace and dignity’
Yasmin Sidhwa, also an ORFA patron, spoke about her vision for bringing young people of Oxford and Ramallah together through theatre. She said she was very excited that Mandala Theatre would be going to Ramallah to take part in the International Drama Festival in July.
During his visit, Mark was presented with a beautiful hand embroidered logo for the Oxford Ramallah Twinning, made by stitchers in the Womens Centre at Al A'mari Refugee Camp.
SPEAKING UP FOR PALESTINE
Over 3000 people took part in a protest and march through Oxford organised by Help the World Oxford on 16 May 2021.
Winter appeal raises £2100 for Palestinian refugee families
‘Thank you for your help and support’
ORFA’s winter appeal raised a total of £2100 to support families in Am’ari Refugee camp, where the Coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated an already difficult situation.
The money from Oxford has been used to buy olive oil, winter clothes and blankets for families affected by Coronavirus in the camp.
ORFA worked with the Women’s centre, a key democratic and non-aligned institution in Am’ari camp, to identify what was most urgently needed and to distribute items to families in need.
Refugees in the camp, who are living between the pandemic and the occupation, have difficulty in self-isolating due to overcrowded homes with several generations living together.
Many workers are daily paid and unemployment is high. The pandemic is having a disproportionate impact on this disadvantaged community and there are many young children in the camp living with inadequate resources.
A first payment of £1000 was sent in November 2020 and a second payment of £1100 was sent in January 2021.
Pictured here are some of the items distributed to families, and Naifa, one of our friends in the Women’s Centre, with a box of supplies.
