"We don't need the government to be here - they need to transfer powers to us"

Mayors of Ra'anana, Tiberias, Sderot and Or Yehuda attacked the government's conduct toward local authorities at the "People of the State" conference held by ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth. They argued the government does not understand citizens' needs, demanded the transfer of powers and resources, and criticized the failed evacuation of Sderot after October 7 and the closure of the Sea of Galilee in Tiberias.

At the panel of municipal heads at the "People of the State" conference held by ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth, which took place today (Monday), four mayors attacked the government's conduct toward local authorities. Ra'anana Mayor Haim Broida said he told the prime minister's representative that the best thing she could do was not to intervene. Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi described a failure in evacuating the city after October 7, claiming the government forgot Sderot and Ofakim while it evacuated the Gaza envelope communities. Or Yehuda Mayor Liat Shochat called for transferring powers and resources to local authorities, arguing they are the best address for residents. Tiberias Mayor Yossi Naba said the closure of the Sea of Galilee during the war was a "death sentence" for businesses in the city, and that the government did not understand this despite repeated appeals to Knesset committees.