Wisconsin city rejects Palestinian sister city

United Press International, July 22, 2004

MADISON, Wis. — The Madison, Wis., City Council has defeated a resolution to make the Palestinian city of Rafah a sister city, the Wisconsin State Journal said.

A compromise proposal that would have created the first U.S.-Palestinian sister city relationship between Wisconsin’s state capital and Rafah failed by two votes after an eight-hour council session that ended at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz opposed the sister city proposal, which he said made the liberal university town appear to take sides in the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“My concern with Rafah is that it does make a political statement,” the mayor told the Wisconsin State Journal.

The Madison-Rafah Sister City Project, which supported the resolution, said it would continue to develop humanitarian initiatives in the Palestinian city, including healthcare projects and a playground.

Madison has sister-city relationships with 11 foreign cities.

Copyright 2004 United Press International

Cite this article

“WIS. CITY REJECTS PALESTINIAN SISTER CITY.” United Press International. 2004. HighBeam Research. 15 Nov. 2009.