Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu eulogized longtime Netanya Mayor Miriam Feirberg-Ikar, who died on Friday at the age of 74 at her home in the city after a lengthy battle with cancer, calling her “a groundbreaking leader.”
“Together with all the residents of Netanya and many across the country, my wife, Sara, and I share in the profound sorrow of the family and friends of our dear friend,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “She lived, breathed and dreamed Netanya, and this was evident in the enormous development of the city under her leadership.”
Feirberg-Ikar served as mayor since 1998, becoming one of the few women elected to lead a major Israeli city. She was reelected in February last year for a sixth term. During her tenure, Netanya underwent extensive urban renewal and became a growing business, sports and tourism hub on Israel’s Mediterranean coast.
President Isaac Herzog also paid tribute to the woman he described as “the legendary mayor of Netanya.” “She was larger than life: a dedicated public servant with all her heart, an implementer and true leader with a golden heart and social sensitivity,” Herzog said. “Her enormous mark can be seen in every corner of the city.”
The Netanya municipality said it was heartbroken by the mayor’s death. “She served the city with a sense of mission, devotion and endless commitment for many years,” it said. “With her captivating smile, Miriam became the face of Netanya in Israel and around the world.”
Born in Acre, Feirberg-Ikar began her professional life as a social worker and headed the city’s social services department before entering politics as a member of the Likud. She was reelected five times and remained in office until her passing.
Netanya, a city with an estimated population of a quarter of a million, named its soccer stadium for the mayor while she was still alive, saying that she had contributed to “turning Netanya into the Sharon area’s metropolis, promoting and developing sports in the city, along with an active and diverse cultural and leisure life.”
Feirberg had a son, Tzafrir, and a daughter, Tal, from her first marriage to Eli Feirberg. In 2004, she married Roni Ikar, a former CEO of the Netanya municipality.
