Last week, the city of Raanana hosted a meeting of the heads of the local authorities from the Jewish and Druze sectors, which was initiated by the Israel Zionist Council.

For the first time, the meeting was held at Raanana’s Yad LaBanim and attended by Mayor Nahum Hofree and 13 Druze local authority heads and a number of mayors from the Jewish sector, including Holon, Kfar Saba, Or Yehuda and Rosh Ha’ayin.

Also in attendance were MK Zeev Bielski; Israel Zionist Council Director, Moshe Atar; Druze Zionist Movement Chairman, Yosef Nasardin and Israel Zionist Council Chairman, Morris Zilkha.

During the meeting, the authority leaders discussed methods to develop programs for cooperation between them, in order to assist the Druze local authorities and to empower their localities.

Mayor Nahum Hofree:  “The Druze population in Israel has contributed a great deal to the State over the years and serves in the IDF in large percentages.  It is very important to strengthen the cooperation between us in order to expand the things the two sectors share in common and to create a fruitful dialogue between us.”

In the photo:  From right to left:  Yosef Nasardin, Mayor Nahum Hofree and MK Zeev Bielski at the meeting.  Photographer:  Motti Ben Aroya.