by Geri Powell
May 22, 2006

A delegation of eight U.S. mayors traveled to Israel May 7-13, joining nearly 30 mayors from cities in South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia for the 24th Annual Jerusalem Conference of Mayors hosted by Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski. The week-long conference and study tour, “Mobilizing the Past for a Better Economic Future,” included sessions with a special emphasis on the role of the mayor in convening major international cultural events in cities.

The U.S. delegation, led by Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell, a trustee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, included Warwick (RI) Mayor Scott Avedisian, Bethlehem (PA) Mayor John Callahan, Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo, North Bay Village Mayor Joe Geller, Miami Gardens Mayor Shirley Gibson, Burnsville (MN) Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, and Wichita Mayor Carlos Mayans. Other mayors attending included the mayor of Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina; Prague, Czech Republic; Tbilisi, Georgia; Livorno, Italy; Asuncion, Paraquay; Odessa, Ukraine; Lusaka, Zambia.

Lupolianski welcomed the delegation of international mayors at the opening session in city hall, saying the conference would “provide the opportunity for mutual enrichment, and the chance to get to know Jerusalem.” He addressed the positive trends in Jerusalem today, especially the economic revival, the rise in tourism, and the new industrial development.

“Jerusalem is like many other cities in the world,” he explained to the mayors and In Jerusalem. “We can leverage history and heritage to better the economy, using history and heritage as a launching pad for the city’s economics.”

The open discussions at Jerusalem city hall and visits to city projects provided the mayors with a platform for mutual exploration of common challenges. The sessions focused on a variety of municipal issues in Israel, and provided opportunity for mayoral discussions about their cities and the strategies they employ to address local issues, including multiculturalism, security, tourism, and branding.

A highlight of the session “The Economic Impact of International Cultural Events” was Purcell’s presentation, “The Story of Nashville,” during which time he discussed the history and “branding of Nashville as the ‘Music Capital of the World.” Purcell explained that, “Nashville also uses this branding to attract businesses and corporations that have helped push the city to the No.1 ranking in Expansion Management’s list of America’s 50 hottest cities.”

Following an overview of Jerusalem’s master plan, which calls for the introduction of a light-rail system and curtailment of vehicle parking and movement in the central business district, members of the international delegation discussed economic development, tourism, and infrastructure challenges and innovations in their cities.

In addition to two days of intensive meetings at city hall, the mayors met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, former mayor of Jerusalem, who expressed appreciation to the mayors for coming to Israel, and chose this meeting with the international delegation to announce his policy of allowing up to six months to ascertain if there is a possible partner on the Palestinian side.

The group also met with the Honorable Tzipi Livini, Minister of Foreign Affairs, visited several Jerusalem neighborhoods, and toured both historic and modern sites in Jerusalem. The U.S. delegation had a private meeting with the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Richard H. Jones, who briefed them on about his responsibilities, Israel’s free market economy and the increasingly positive business climate in Israel.

The mayors also toured Yad Sarah, a social services facility in Jerusalem, founded by Lupolianski in the 1970’s, when he was a high school teacher. Yad Sarah is the largest volunteer organization in Israel, with over 100 branches and over 6000 volunteers. Their best known service is lending medical equipment to those who are in need. The organization also provides transportation for the disabled, personal alarm systems for the elderly, and services for the homebound.

At the conclusion of the week-long study tour, the international delegation of mayors was inducted into The Most Honorable Order of Fellow Mayors for Jerusalem. Upon their return to the United States, the American mayors sent a letter to Lupolianski, expressing their thanks to him and to all the organizations involved. In the letter they stated they will be taking back to their citizens “his message of tolerance, peace, and security” and their own message that “they, too, may feel secure in traveling here.”

Other highlights of the Conference included an informal gathering in the Kfar Giladi Kibbutz with Israeli mayors from the north of Israel, a tour of the new Yad Vashem (Holocaust) Museum, a study tour of Hadassah Hospital, and a briefing with the Israeli Defense Northern Command on the Golan Heights. There were also visits to Christian, Moslem, and Jewish holy sites, including travel to the Sea of Galilee, Masada, and the Dead Sea.

The Conference was sponsored by the American Jewish Congress-Council for World Jewry and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and conducted in cooperation with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.