The Palestinian flag will be flown at Bradford City Hall next month on the UN International day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
In March a petition signed by 1,471 people was submitted to Bradford Council calling for the Palestinian flag to be flown on 29 November.
It said: “The small act of raising the Palestine flag has already been done on 29 November in other councils including Burnley and Rotherham.”
At that meeting Bradford Council had asked its legal team to look at the issue and make a decision, but on Thursday the decision went to members of the Council’s Labour-run Executive for a vote.
The Authority’s head of legal had said any decision to fly the flag would be a political one, and not one to be made by a Council officer.
Members voted to fly the flag on that date.
Just as Thursday morning’s Executive meeting began to discuss the issue, Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe informed members that there had just been an attack outside a synagogue in Manchester.
She said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this. Anti-Semitism and all forms of hate crime will not be tolerated. Hate crime and division is something we’re seeing across the world and we need to make sure everyone works together to stop it.”
A report by Jason Field, the Council’s head of Legal, said the question of whether the flag should be flown was “an important one for different parts of our community.”
His report to the Executive said: “Flying flags for one faith/race group or another when there is an active conflict is NOT likely to foster good relations – it is more likely to inflame community tensions.”
The report said Mr Field had consulted with Bradford’s Jewish community about the proposal, and that they believe flying the Palestinian flag would “promote anti-semitic behaviour impacting on those living working and being educated in Bradford.”
The report added: “Flying a Palestinian flag on Council premises would be interpreted as the Council taking one side in an international conflict involving faith/race groups of two different protected characteristics represented in our community – Muslims and Jews.
“From an equalities perspective it is not likely to have a positive impact on eliminating discrimination or harassment against Jews or foster good relations and may embolden anti-semitic behaviour.”
He suggested that instead of a Palestinian flag, the Council could fly a Peace flag.
But he acknowledged that it would ultimately be a political decision, and said it would be entirely lawful for the Executive to take a different decision.
He also pointed out that the Council had flown the Palestinian flag last month when the UK Government recognised the Palestinian state.
Deputy Council Leader Imran Khan said Bradford had recently seen a 7.5 per cent decrease in hate crime, and a decrease in faith-based hate crime.
He said Bradford was a “welcoming city” adding: “We are here for all communities.”
He said what was happening in Gaza was beyond a conflict, adding: “It is a genocide, that is clear for everyone to see. We are talking about raising a flag to recognise the suffering of a people. We need to take that very seriously.”
Councillor Mike Pollard (Cons, Baildon) spoke, and informed the meeting that during the discussion it had been announced that there had been fatalities in the Manchester attack.
He said: “We have to be very careful in how we approach this matter, and this morning reflects that.”
He said while he felt the raising of the flag when the UK Government acknowledged Palestinian statehood was “unnecessary and unwise” he said: “It was a political decision you were entitled to make.”
He criticised the Council for initially asking the head of Legal to make the decision saying: “You should have owned it (the decision) rather than passing the parcel to the director of legal.”
Councillor Kamran Hussain, Executive for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety, said: “Bradford is proud of its diversity and cohesion.
“We need to make sure we stand with the Jewish community who are the very fabric of this District. Any Anti-Semitism should be rooted out from the very ground.”
The Executive voted to back the petition and agree to raise the Palestinian flag on November 29 in Centenary Square.
