Visit to the Western Galilee (24523828921)

Shimon Lankri ( he, שמעון לנקרי) is the current mayor of

Acre, Israel Acre ( ), known locally as Akko ( he, עַכּוֹ, ''ʻAkō'') or Akka ( ar, عكّا, ''ʻAkkā''), is a city in the coastal plain region of the Northern District of Israel. The city occupies an important location, sitting in a natural harb ...

(Akko). He was first elected in 2003, and reelected in 2008, 2013 and 2018. In 2013, Lankri was shot by masked gunmen while he was driving near his home. In 2015, Lankri visited

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

with the head of Acre's Azerbaijani

Mountain Jews Mountain Jews or Caucasus Jews also known as Juhuro, Juvuro, Juhuri, Juwuri, Juhurim, Kavkazi Jews or Gorsky Jews ( he, יהודי קווקז ''Yehudey Kavkaz'' or ''Yehudey he-Harim''; russian: Горские евреи, translit=Gorskie Yevrei ...

community. In 2016, he was part of the inauguration of a ferry service between

Haifa Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...

and Acre. The trip takes 45 minutes. In 2017, Lankri and national government leaders announced plans to expand housing for a projected doubling of the city's size. Lankri was part of the opening of an American Corners in Acre. Lankri is a member of Pnima, a group working to alleviate divisions among Jews in Israel. Lankri supports youth centers that double as pool halls.

Arab-Jewish relations

Arab residents have expressed concerns about getting their fair share of services and schools, and have become increasingly concerned over very religious and nationalist settler Jews having moved to the city, but Lankri has said all residents are treated equally and supported development projects. About 28 percent of the city is Arab and lives in a more run down section of the city. Lankri has been chairman of the Acre Festival. In 2008 he cancelled the festival after clashes between Muslim and Jewish residents. In 2017, Lankri weighed in on a proposed ban of a Palestinian performance of a play about Palestinian prisoners in Israel from the Fringe Theater Festival of Acre.Israeli Culture Minister Backs Festival Ban of Play About Palestinians
by Yair Ashkenazi 06.06.2017 Haaretz

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lankri, Shimon Mayors of places in Israel Living people Shooting survivors Year of birth missing (living people) People from Acre, Israel