Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked announced on Tuesday that the Druze town Mughar, near Safed, will receive city status, and it will become Israel’s first Druze city.
Shaked surprised Mughar mayor Fareed Ghanem with the announcement during a meeting with Druze and Circassian municipality heads in Sajur, near Acre.
Congratulations to Israel's first Druze city, Mughar! I welcome interior minister @Ayelet_Shaked's decision to announce the first Druze city in Israel.
— Merav Michaeli מרב מיכאלי (@MeravMichaeli) October 26, 2021
Mughar’s current population is 24,000, but plans have been approved for it to grow to 30,000 in the coming years. Its local authority has developed and implemented a number of economic, infrastructure and organizational processes and thus earned the Western Galilee Geographical Committee’s recommendation, which Shaked approved.
The importance of a town becoming a city is mostly manifested in it becoming more attractive for government and private companies to invest and to generate general and commercial development and employment options.
“In my view, any local authority that proves itself in development, organizational efficiency, economic growth and an increase in internal revenue, will receive assistance in growing and creating new capabilities from us,” Shaked said.
“Mughar has proved itself and deserves to become an important Israeli city. This is more proof of the courageous and strong bond between the Druze community and the Jewish people. This partnership is not limited to the military but also exists in civilian life,” she concluded.
Mughar the hometown of Ra’am head Mansour Abbas.