In May 1998, under the auspices and initiative of UNESCO, the City of Verona, Italy simultaneously signed a friendship agreement with the city of Raanana and with the city of Bethlehem, in the Palestinian Authority. Present at the signing ceremony in Verona were the Mayor of Raanana, Mr. Zeev Bielski, the Mayor of Bethlehem, Mr. Hanna Nasser, the Mayor of Verona, Professor Michela Sironi Mariotti and the Director General of UNESCO, Mr. Federico Mayor.

Raanana and Verona pledged to develop friendly relations and widely promote contact between citizens, via cultural exchanges and close cooperation especially in the spheres of municipal policy, management, economics, science, know-how, arts, education, sports, technology, trade and tourism. The hope was expressed that the three-way friendship would serve to improve neighborly relations and cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and progress the cause of peace in the region.

In August 2000, Raanana hosted a delegation from the Verona Italy-Israel Association.

In September 2000, the Mayor of Verona, Prof. Michela Sironi Mariotti, headed a municipal delegation to Raanana, which included UNESCO representatives, for the reciprocal signing ceremony. In 2001, two artists from Raanana, Nissim Levi and Yoel Ken Dror exhibited their artwork at the Sister Cities Festival in Verona and the following year, Raanana hosted the Mayor of Verona, Mr. Paulo Zanotto, together with the Bishops of Verona and Ravenna.

In 2003, the Liceo Scientifico School in Verona hosted students and teachers from the Aviv High School and the Terra Sancta School from Bethlehem. During the reciprocal visit in 2004, the Aviv students hosted students from Verona and arranged for students from the Terra Sancta School in Bethlehem to come to Raanana for a day of joint activities.