Haim Bibas, head of the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel and mayor of Modi'in-Maccabim-Reut, told guests at the Jerusalem Post Conference in New York that Israel’s local leadership has played an essential role in the country’s resilience.
“We proved that when we stand together, we are far stronger than ever. The resilience of Israel's society is our most powerful answer to terror. It is built from the ground up from our communities and neighborhoods. As chairman of the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel, I say with pride we have strong and effective local leadership. While the government sets national strategy and the military fights on the front lines, it is local authorities that sustain life on the home front. We are the backbone of stability, ensuring that daily life continues even under fire.”
Bibas said that Israel’s local authorities ensured that daily life continued, even as missiles fell.
“We established an unprecedented support system for impacted communities and allocated significant emergency resources. When one municipality was hit, others stepped in, sending teams to assist with evacuation, rebuilding infrastructure, distributing food, and providing emotional support. We opened a Resilience Center that cared for evacuees from dozens of communities, and worked even under fire to safely reopen the education system and provide stability for children and families. Throughout every challenge, we adapted in real time, we learned, improved, and implemented the solution on the ground.
“We are living through historic days, days that are reshaping the Middle East and influencing the entire restaurant world in the struggle against the forces of evil. These are times in which our future is being rewritten. We stand here today following the conclusion of one of the more justified campaigns in our history. Operation Roaring Lion was not just another military operation – it was the defining test of our generation.”
Bibas thanked the Jewish communities around the world for their support, and said, “Our enemies underestimated the strength of our people, the resolve of our leadership, our national resilience and the unwavering support of Jewish communities around the world and especially in the United States of America.”