Zoe Garbett, a Green Party mayor, has faced criticism after setting 7 October as the deadline for her twinned Israeli city to respond to proposals that would sever their official relationship. Critics have condemned the choice of date, noting its significance as the anniversary of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, arguing it shows insensitivity towards victims of that atrocity and Israeli communities more broadly.

The row centres on Garbett's push to end the twinning arrangement with the Israeli city of Haifa, reportedly in protest at Israel's conduct in Gaza, with local officials and community figures accusing her of using a symbolically loaded deadline to pressure the city into a response. The controversy has drawn wider criticism of the Green Party's stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict, with opponents saying the timing risks being seen as provocative rather than a genuine diplomatic gesture.