Adi Eldar, chairman of the Israel Local Authorities Union and mayor of Karmiel was honored at the Israel Public Relations Association annual meeting that took place this past December 7, in Tiberias.

Adi Eldar, chairman of the Israel Local Authorities Union and mayor of Karmiel was selected by the Israel Public Relations Association as Man of the Year in the Israel Media for 2006. The award was presented during the association's annual conference that took place on December 7, 2006, in Tiberias. According to the judging committee, Mayor Eldar was being recognized for his service to the 80 municipalities that found themselves in the line of fire during the war this past summer.

Eldar was selected to receive the association's award to applaud his wise use of internal and external organizational communications to promote the status and needs of local municipalities in Israel and assist their mayors. Among the examples cited by the judges were the successful struggles waged by Eldar this year to establish a hot meal plan for approximately 200,000 school-aged pupils. The struggle to prevent a 20 million NIS cutback from the Education Ministry earmarked for local municipalities, the extensive activity against the increasing violence directed towards local authorities, and of course, his activities during the war and his part in creating the Twin Cities Project in which 60 municipalities from Israel's central and southern regions adopted and aided northern municipalities. The judges noted, "The determined activity of Eldar during the war also brought about an immediate allocation of 150 million NIS for the benefit of northern municipalities, in order that they could continue to faithfully supply municipal services to the residents of the region.

Adi Eldar, in his just struggles as chairman of the Israel Local Authorities Union, in connection with the local press secretaries as a single voice, works to change the image of local officials in the public's eye.  PR activity by the representatives and municipal spokespersons created an important tool for managing struggles and presenting a wider picture in the media concerning the hardships facing local municipalities and their leadership. The PR activity, whether directly or through press spokespersons, was best expressed during the days of the fighting in the north as well as during the quiet days preceding and following the war."

Therefore, it was decided to grant to Adi Eldar the Man of the Year Award of the Israel Public Relations Association.

Among those previously awarded by the association, Teddy Kollek, Abi Natan, Professor Uriel Reichmann, the athlete Karen Leibovitz and others.  Last year the award was given to Eli Moyal, mayor of Shderot.