International Mayors Conclude Israel Visit with TASE Trading Ceremony
Over 30 mayors and municipal leaders from 19 countries concluded an international conference in Israel with a traditional trading bell ceremony at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange on Thursday, highlighting global economic ties.
More than 30 mayors and municipal leaders from 19 countries participated in the opening bell ceremony at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange on Thursday. The visit was part of the 35th International Mayors Conference, organized by the American Jewish Congress in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Participants included the mayors of Poznan in Poland, Kigali in Rwanda, and San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. The US delegation featured mayors from North Miami, Key West, Boca Raton, and Carson City, alongside representatives from Germany, Spain, Albania, Colombia, and the Czech Republic. The delegation was welcomed by TASE CEO Itai Ben-Zeev and American Jewish Congress President Daniel Rosen.
Throughout the week, delegation members met with leading Israeli firms such as Mobileye, Check Point Software Technologies, and the Veridis desalination facility to explore municipal solutions ranging from traffic congestion to water scarcity. The discussions focused on smart transportation, cyber defense for public services, and artificial intelligence applications.
The Israeli itinerary also included a tour of the Gaza envelope and the Nova festival memorial site, a visit to Yad Vashem, and meetings with President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. For the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, the visit coincides with a transformative year following the shift in its trading week to align with major global markets. The new schedule, running from Monday to Friday instead of Sunday to Thursday, launched on January 5 to facilitate foreign investment.
TASE CEO Itai Ben-Zeev noted that the visit underscores the exchange's central role in the Israeli capital market. "The Israeli economy is a global model of resilience and innovation," Ben-Zeev said. "The transition to Monday-through-Friday trading in early 2026 has significantly boosted foreign investor engagement, with foreign participation surging from about 12.5% on Sundays to roughly 40%, further strengthening the standing of the Israeli capital market internationally."
Daniel Rosen, head of the American Jewish Congress founded in 1918, emphasized that the conference aims to foster lasting partnerships. "Concluding the conference at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange is an opportunity to look forward to the partnerships these meetings can forge," Rosen said. "We want these connections to help mayors improve their residents' lives while providing Israeli companies with new opportunities worldwide."
