Moshe Lion begins tenure as Jerusalem mayor in official ceremony

Moshe Lion formally becomes mayor of Jerusalem, taking over the position from Nir Barkat in a ceremony at the Jerusalem municipality building.

All city council members elected in the recent elections participate in the ceremony, including Ofer Berkovitch, who narrowly lost the mayoral race.

“Everything I’ve done in my life has led me to this moment,” Lion says in his speech. “There are many challenges ahead of us, but the first and most important one in my opinion is uniting all the residents under a good, positive spirit.”

Barkat, who has joined the Likud party, says in his farewell speech: “This morning I am exiting the mayor’s office for the last time, but I’m sure I’ll be here many more times. It was a great honor for me to have led the most complex, rewarding and important city in the world.”