Surfside votes to quit Sister Cities International over Palestinian roundtable

Surfside’s Town Commission voted late Tuesday, Nov. 10, to end the town’s membership in Sister Cities International, the nonprofit that links U.S. communities with cities abroad, VINnews reported Wednesday. The vote was not unanimous, according to the report, which did not give the tally. The town has not yet posted the meeting’s video or minutes, so Red Sidewalks has not independently confirmed the vote or how each commissioner voted.

The resolution as posted on the agenda, sponsored by Mayor Shlomo Danzinger, objects to an Oct. 23 “U.S.-Palestine Sister Cities Roundtable” the organization convened, at which, the resolution says, mayors of Palestinian communities described conditions in their towns and U.S. sister cities discussed aid, exchanges and a proposed 2027 delegation. It says no Israeli representatives were invited and that the group had given up any claim to being nonpartisan. The measure ends the membership immediately, directs the town manager to send the group the town’s reasons in writing, and says Surfside will keep its sister-city partnerships directly, including the one with the Shomron region in Israel, within existing budgets. The agenda title also mentions a request for a refund of dues.

After the vote, Danzinger sent a letter to the chair of Sister Cities International’s board saying the membership was terminated, VINnews reported. The report said the letter criticized the roundtable’s organizer, the Palestinian flag and a slogan used in its promotion, and said the town would not partner with any group that spreads antisemitism. VINnews described Surfside as believed to be the first U.S. city to cut ties with the group over the event. No response from Sister Cities International was included in the report or the agenda packet.

The same agenda included a final vote on repealing the town’s 2024 single-family setback rules, new building permit fees under a state law, and reappointing Town Clerk Sandra McCready as acting town manager. Results of those votes had not been posted as of Wednesday evening. Red Sidewalks previewed the agenda last week.