THE DIAMOND EXCHANGE Center area in Ramat-Gan, Israel (Wikipedia).

By Jim Tortolano/Orange County Tribune

Without the controversy that accompanied a previous meeting in which a “Twin City” relationship with Ramat -Gan in Israel was discussed, the Huntington Beach City Council on Tuesday approved a resolution connecting the two coastal communities.

The vote was five in favor – Mayor Gracie Van der Mark, Vice Mayor Pro Tem Pat Burns and Counclmembers Casey McKeon, Tony Strickland and Rhonda Bolton in favor and two – Councilmembers Dan Kalmick and Natalie Moser – abstentions.

Kalmik wanted a less formal relationship with the 200,000 population city until all the formal paperwork of the sponsoring Israel Global Foundation – including tax-exempt status – was completed, but his substitute motion was defeated.

Moser expressed some skepticism about the motivation of the for the Twin City proposal. “I do question the timing of this,” she said. Israel is now involved in a war with Hamas and Hezbollah that has brought criticism from Palestinian and other quarters over humanitarian concerns.

Strickland said he regularly spoke with members of the Jewish community in Huntington Beach and that the Twin City proposal was not political and had support in that group.

Ramat-Gan (Garden Height) is a city in the Tel Aviv District of Israel. It was established as a communal farming settlement in 1921.

Today it is best-known for the Diamond Exchange Center, featuring many skyscrapers and high-tech businesses.