On March 16 – 2016, Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat, addressed the foreign media at the Jerusalem Press Club. Mayor Barkat said that the security situation in Jerusalem improved in the last weeks, that blocks around troublesome neighborhoods in East Jerusalem were removed, and that occasional troublemakers who disrupt the calm are not Jerusalemites, but people who come from areas outside Jerusalem.
Mayor Barkat expressed his strong opposition to all the separation plans aired by MK Herzog and Haim Ramon, and said emphatically that they will just not happen.
When asked about his political plans, Mayor Barkat said that he hasn’t decided yet whether to run for reelection for the third term, or to quit after the second term (2018) and enter the national political arena. This way or another, Mayor Barkat said that he definitely aims at the highest national leadership level.
About the speaker:
Nir Barkat has served as Mayor of Jerusalem since 2008, inspiring Jerusalemites with his vision to leverage the city’s competitive advantages to transform Israel’s capital into an international leader in business, culture, and innovation. His record of closing economic gaps in the city’s education system, driving tourism to the city, and enhancing the city’s cultural landscape all served as the basis for his re-election for a second term in 2013.
Mayor Barkat’s marked successes in his public service are rooted in his previous work as a tech entrepreneur. In 1988, Mayor Barkat co‐founded BRM Technologies, a pioneering software house and later venture capital firm that developed and marketed ground‐breaking anti‐virus software now standard on personal computers throughout the world. He has brought his business acumen and entrepreneurial approach to City Hall, fostering a municipal culture dedicated to constant innovation and swift execution.
Mayor Barkat received the rank of Major during his six years of service in the Israel Defense Forces, which included serving as a company commander of paratroopers during the First Lebanon War. Following his army service, Mayor Barkat returned to Jerusalem where he attended Hebrew University and earned a degree in computer science. He is married to artist Beverly Barkat, with whom he has three daughters
