On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, the Mayor of Bethlehem, Mr. Maher Nikola Canawati, received the Diplomatic Attaché at the Representation of the Russian Federation to the Palestinian National Authority, Mr. Viktor Kozmiak, accompanied by Mr. Yuri Romachuk, Counselor of the Russian Church to the Palestinian National Authority.
During the meeting, Kozmiak delivered an official letter to the Mayor from His Excellency Dr. Gosha Boyachev, Representative of the Russian Federation to the Palestinian National Authority, congratulating him on assuming the position of Mayor of Bethlehem.
In his letter, Boyachev expressed his sincere congratulations and best wishes for success to the new Mayor, wishing him good health and well-being. He also emphasized the Russian side’s continued commitment to strengthening cooperation between the Palestinian and Russian peoples.
For his part, Canawati expressed his deep appreciation for this generous gesture, wishing the Russian representative safety and success, and praising the deep relations that bind the city of Bethlehem and its various institutions to the Russian side. He also welcomed expanding cooperation in various fields to serve the interests of the city and its people.
At the end of the meeting, Canawati thanked the Russian government for its steadfast and supportive stance on the Palestinian cause, stressing the importance of strengthening the twinning relations between the Bethlehem Municipality and the Russian cities of St. Petersburg, Vladimir, and Suzdal.

Bethlehem Mayor Maher Nicola Canawati received Mr. Peter Rand, Honorary President of the Friends of the Holy Land Foundation, and Ms. Laila Asfoura, a member of the Foundation and President of the Ahdaf Foundation (House of Santa Marta), in coordination with the Anatreh Family Association.
The Mayor welcomed the visiting delegation and reviewed the current situation in the city, particularly the economic challenges and high unemployment rates, as well as development issues such as the problem of stray dogs. Kanawati highlighted the municipality’s efforts in this regard, including organizing regular cleaning campaigns to improve the urban environment. He also emphasized the importance of activating community efforts, calling for cooperation between official and civil society organizations to maintain the cleanliness of Bethlehem and enhance its civilized appearance.
In this context, the Anatreh Family Association, represented by its President, Mr. Riyad Mitri, and members of the Administrative Board, expressed the neighborhood’s willingness to contribute practically to cleaning the surroundings of the Anatreh neighborhood, one of Bethlehem’s historic neighborhoods. This effort will be implemented in coordination with the neighborhood’s youth and residents, reinforcing the values ​​of belonging and community responsibility. For his part, Mr. Rand affirmed the Foundation’s commitment to supporting the residents of Bethlehem through projects in the fields of health and education, in addition to contributing to the creation of job opportunities for graduates and the unemployed, thus strengthening the resilience of the city’s residents.

Bethlehem – On Thursday, May 22, 2025, the Mayor of Bethlehem, Mr. Maher Nicola Canawati, received the Consul General of the Kingdom of Belgium in Jerusalem, Mr. Wilfried Pfeffer, at the Municipality Hall. The meeting was attended by the Country Director of the Belgian Development Agency (Enabel) in Palestine, Ms. Christelle Jocket, and an accompanying delegation of staff from the Consulate and the Agency.
The meeting was attended from the Bethlehem Municipality by Municipal Council Member and former Mayor, Mr. Hanna Hanania, along with Council Members Rehab Abu Ahour, Daoud Salahat, George Juha, Samir Abu Dayyeh, Hisham Al-Kamel, and a number of municipal employees.
The visit came within the framework of exploring ways of joint cooperation between the Bethlehem Municipality and the Belgian Development Agency to develop sustainable development projects in the city, with a focus on the areas of governance, skills building, economic development, and infrastructure development. At the beginning of the meeting, the Mayor welcomed the visiting delegation, highlighting the importance of this visit in light of the political and economic challenges plaguing the city, which have cast a shadow over vital sectors such as tourism, health, and trade, as well as the rising rates of migration. He emphasized the municipality’s readiness to strengthen international partnerships, particularly with entities with experience in supporting local communities, such as Enabel, given its direct impact on strengthening citizens’ resilience in their land.
Engineer Ziad Al-Sayeh, Director of the Planning and Development Department at the municipality, gave a detailed presentation of a number of vital projects the municipality seeks to implement, reflecting the city’s development needs. He also reviewed the projects currently being implemented with support from the Belgian Development Agency within the framework of the “Green Palestine” project, implemented by the Municipal Development and Lending Fund.
For his part, the Belgian Consul expressed his deep sorrow over the difficult reality facing the city, noting that the effects of the war have affected all aspects of life. He also emphasized the need to return to work and achieve progress to improve living conditions. He expressed his regret over the increasing rate of population migration, considering that “the people of Bethlehem are the living stones of this city, and their steadfastness is an essential element in its survival.” He expressed particular interest in the proposed projects, confirming that Belgium, through the Enabel Agency, would explore the possibility of supporting these initiatives.
For her part, Ms. Christelle Jocke emphasized the importance of collaborative work with the Bethlehem Municipality in identifying development priorities and developing effective intervention programs that respond to the needs of the population. She confirmed that the Agency would review the projects submitted within the framework of its next operational plan.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the two sides agreed to continue coordination and form joint working groups to establish clear implementation mechanisms and prepare detailed files to present to donors, with the aim of transforming ideas into tangible projects that serve the city’s residents and enhance its development capabilities.

The Mayor of Bethlehem received a delegation from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Jerusalem, headed by its Director, Mr. Mirko Tricoli. The delegation included Mr. Marco Werber, Director of Solid Waste Management Projects, Mr. Albert Saleh, Media Officer, and Mr. Paolo Ricci, representative of the Italian Municipality of San Giovanni Valdarno and Director of the “Bethlehem, a Green City” project. The meeting was attended by the Municipal Council member and former Mayor, Mr. Hanna Hanania, and the Director of the Planning and Projects Department, Engineer Ziad Al-Sayeh. The Mayor welcomed the delegation and expressed his thanks for their continued support, particularly in the “Bethlehem, a Green City” project, which recently concluded its activities. He also reviewed the challenges facing the city, particularly in light of the difficult economic conditions that have significantly impacted the tourism sector, stressing the importance of supporting this sector, which has incurred significant losses since the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by the aggression on Gaza. For his part, Mr. Tricoli emphasized the importance of strengthening joint cooperation, calling for an expanded meeting of technical teams from both sides to discuss priority projects, particularly in the areas of solid waste and tourism. Engineer Al-Sayeh gave a detailed presentation on the proposed projects in these two sectors.
At the conclusion of the meeting, commemorative gifts were presented to the delegation. The Mayor then took the visitors on a field tour of the Environmental Center in Beit Bassa, where they learned about the mechanism for collecting and separating cardboard at the source, as well as the project’s environmental objectives. The visit concluded with a tour of the Peace Center, where the Mayor presented his vision for the center’s future operation with the return of tourism to the city.

The Bethlehem Municipality, in cooperation with the Bethlehem District Police, launched a volunteer campaign titled “Bethlehem is More Beautiful with Our Hands,” with the active participation of police officers and municipal employees. Participating in the campaign were Bethlehem Mayor Maher Nicola Canawati, Vice Mayor Lucy Thaljieh, Municipal Council members Samir Abu Dayyeh, Hisham Al-Kamel, and George Juha, as well as municipal staff and workers. Colonel Ali Issa, Director of the Police Services Branch, Colonel Samer Abu Srour, Director of the Public Relations and Media Branch, and several representatives of Bethlehem District Police departments and divisions were also present. The campaign included a series of field activities, including cleaning streets and public places, pruning trees, improving green spaces, redrawing sidewalks, and removing unauthorized structures. The Mayor emphasized that this campaign will continue periodically to keep the city’s sidewalks free of construction debris, rubble, and waste. He urged the city’s residents to cooperate with the municipality in preserving the cleanliness and beauty of Bethlehem.

Bethlehem Mayor Maher Canawati met today with the “Beauty Engineers,” the sanitation workers at the Bethlehem Municipality, and expressed his deep gratitude and appreciation for their ongoing efforts and dedication to maintaining the cleanliness of the city, despite it being a vital commercial and tourist center in the Bethlehem Governorate.
During the meeting, the Mayor emphasized that the Municipality will work to ensure that these unsung heroes are given their due rights, in recognition of their essential role in creating beauty and a healthy and clean environment for the city’s residents and visitors.
In a practical step, Qanawati assigned Municipal Council member Hisham Al-Kamel to oversee the public hygiene file, coordinate efforts with relevant departments, supervise the performance of crews, and follow up on the work plan and relevant meetings.
For his part, Mr. Hisham Al-Kamel thanked the engineers for their dedication, emphasizing the importance of continuing their diligent work, especially with the approach of summer and the additional efforts required to clean the streets and neighborhoods on a regular, daily basis to preserve the city’s beauty and splendor.