On September 2, SFP Shared Cities Change Agents Course participants toured cities in northern Israel. The group met with Joint List representatives of the Upper Nazareth city council.

At the meeting, they learned about the setting up the joint list in the city that followed the model of the unification of Arab parties in the national elections. In the discussion, the subject of the struggle for the establishment of an Arab school in the city came up too. Today, the 2,000 Arab students study in Upper Nazareth study in the lower city. Following the meeting, the group viewed upper and lower Nazareth from the vantage point of Mt. Precipice.

Yousef Iyad, deputy mayor of Nazareth, who accompanied them, highlighted some regional projects that the city of Nazareth is developing jointly with neighboring cities and local authorities. He also explained how the events of October 2000 (during the outbreak of the second intifada) had shaken the city and their lasting influence on relations between the two neighboring populations.

Top photo shows the group looking out over Nazareth with Deputy Mayor, Yousef Iyad. Below: the group meeting with the Joint list representatives.