Imagine you are in a restaurant enjoying your dinner, then step into the restroom, only to discover you have crossed into a different political zone under the control of another authority. You run toward the game room and find yourself in a third, disputed zone between the restaurant and the restroom. This is the reality of the political divisions that affect the town of Sebastia, north of Nablus in the West Bank of Palestine.

In 1995, the Oslo Agreement was signed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, outlining the administrative division of the West Bank into Areas A, B and C as a transitional arrangement. Oslo was intended to be temporary, with full jurisdiction of all three areas gradually transferred to the Palestinian Authority over time. Instead, the divisions persist: Area A is administered by the Palestinian Authority, Area C by Israel and Area B under joint control.

Sebastia’s complex situation and the nearly 7,500 miles separating it from the U.S. did not prevent Richmond, California, from recognizing its historical depth. Despite contrasts of distance and freedom, the Richmond City Council approved a decision establishing a sister city partnership with Sebastia.

On Aug. 26, Mayor Eduardo Martinez, along with councilmembers Claudia Jimenez and Soheila Bana, co-sponsored the resolution, noting that as of early 2025, 160 of the 193 United Nations member states recognize the State of Palestine, representing more than 75 percent of the international community.

The Richmond City Council approved the relationship as part of an effort to strengthen its international connections and gain visibility with global audiences.

“Establishing a sister city relationship with Sebastia, Richmond would demonstrate local leadership in diplomacy, solidarity and cultural exchange at a time when such connections are needed globally,” according to a memo included in the city council’s agenda.

Despite the contrasts between the two cities, Richmond and Sebastia share a historical connection, according to documents provided to the Richmond City Council.

The earliest known inhabitants of Richmond were the Ohlone people, who settled in the area about 5,000 years ago. They lived in distinct groups with a stable and peaceful culture rooted in community ties, spirituality, and artistic creativity.

Meanwhile, King Herod of Greece named Sebastia, meaning “the revered” or “the majestic.” Today, Sebastia, located on a hilltop north of Nablus in the West Bank, remains one of the region’s most significant archaeological sites. The town has been continuously inhabited since the Canaanite era, through the Roman, Byzantine, Islamic and Ottoman periods. Its residents continue to preserve a vibrant cultural identity built on resilience, community and historic preservation.

“The sister city partnership is an opportunity to build communication, learn closely about Sebastia’s current situation, and convey it to other nations,” said Durgam Fares, director general of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Nablus city. “It will also help the town develop and preserve its archaeological sites, and protect infrastructure development projects. These projects strengthen Palestinian presence on the land, because restoration and preservation attract more tourists, contributing to the growth of the tourism sector.”

While Richmond struggles with the challenge of pollution caused largely by the presence of a massive oil refinery, Sebastia faces another kind of challenge: what Palestinians describe as attempts by Israel to distort or undermine its history.

“Since October 7, there have been multiple violations in the town, most notably repeated settler incursions under the protection of Israeli soldiers, in addition to illegal excavations at the city’s entrance known as the defensive towers and western gate,” said Fares. “Not only that, the Israelis redrew the site’s boundaries to include the Western Wall under their control. Farmers whose lands fall within that boundary have been affected. Even when they tend their own agricultural land, they are accused of stealing antiquities and arrested, despite the fact that the land is privately owned.”

Fares added that harassment from the Israeli side is intensifying, and that while Palestinians are working hard to restore and improve the site, Israel prevents them from doing so. He said that while ministry teams were cleaning and repairing an archaeological site in Area B, Israeli soldiers intervened, stole a Roman sarcophagus, and detained employees for hours before releasing them.

 Journalist Jameel Dabbabat described a lighter scene on the edge of the Forum Square in Sebastia to illustrate the conflict that the city endures.,He watched a a grou of children move a soccer ball.. In a single second, the ball crossed from Palestinian-controlled Area A to Israeli-controlled Area C, then back to disputed Area B in the Basilica square—light and carefree, unbothered by borders. The children’s effort to cross political divisions is far less than ours to explain a reality that makes politics heavier than a soccer ball.

“Despite the restrictions the town faces, the comparison is fair,” said Dabbabat, a Palestinian journalist and researcher. “When we talk about a small town like Sebastia with such deep historical and cultural roots, it is important to remember it was once the capital of Samaria, a center of urban, judicial, commercial and artistic life in ancient history during the founding of Neapolis, and the starting point of Roman development. 

“Its name has always been tied to great civilizations,” he explained. “When occupied Sebastia becomes linked with a free city in the developed world like Richmond, it gives the town significant importance and value, despite the large population gap between the two places.”