(Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson)
December 6, 2001
A delegation headed by the Governor of New York, George Pataki, the
incumbent Mayor of New York, Rudolph Giulianni and the Mayor-elect,
Michael Bloomberg, will arrive in Israel on December 9 for a one-day
solidarity visit. The delegation will also be joined by leaders of
the American Jewish community, headed by Mortimer Zuckerman.
The delegation will be visiting Israel in order to express the
solidarity of New York citizens with the citizens of the State of
Israel and its capital Jerusalem, following the recent terrorist
attacks. The visit will also enable Israelis to express their
solidarity with the citizens of New York, following the terrorist
attacks there.
The New York delegation will be hosted by Jerusalem Mayor Ehud
Olmert. During the visit, the delegation will meet with the President
of Israel, Moshe Katzav, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and other
leaders. The delegation will tour Jerusalem, and will visit the sites
of the recent terrorist attacks, accompanied by the Mayor of
Jerusalem. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs attaches great importance
to the visit, and is handling the various aspects of the delegation's
trip.
In the evening, a rally will be held at Zion Square, in the Center of
Jerusalem, during which there will be a candle lighting ceremony to
mark the Festival of Hanukkah, to be attended by the guests from New
York who will also address the rally.