THE MAYORS ARE COMING
(JERUSALEM)- 35 mayors from over 20 countries are expected to visit Jerusalem and tour Israel next week (May 9-15) as participants of the 22nd Jerusalem Conference of Mayors. The event, which welcomes one of the largest ever delegations of its kind to Israel, and follows the invitation of Mayor of Jerusalem Uri Lupolianski and the Jerusalem Municipality, is sponsored by the American Jewish Congress Council for World Jewry, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Tourism and the Konrad Adenauer foundation. The visiting leaders include Mayors from cities around the world including Stockholm, Milan, Buenos Aires, and Cleveland, Ohio, as well as the past prime minister of Estonia and president of the US Conference of Mayors. We are delighted that Jerusalem will have the opportunity to showcase our unique city for so many participants this year said Mayor Uri Lupolianski, official host of the program. We believe that this visit and others like it are paving the way for a genuine turnaround in tourism for 2004 and beyond, the Mayor added. While here, the Mayors are scheduled to meet with Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Tourism Minister Benny Elon, representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and US Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer among others.
The theme of the conference, The Role of Mayor in Times of Crisis is reflected in sessions highlighting disaster preparedness and emergency response, homeland security issues, and will present hi-tech business opportunities for municipality leaders. The American Jewish Congress has been privileged since the beginning to join Israel, and the City of Jerusalem specifically in this remarkably successful program, stated American Jewish Congress Chairman Jack Rosen, Every mayor who takes part becomes an ambassador of good will for Israel, and several past participants of this event have gone on to become presidents and prime ministers in their respective countries.
