The Swords of Iron War produced many battlefield heroes, but Haim Bibas, head of the Federation of Local Authorities, stresses that Israel’s municipalities were indispensable in managing the home front and steadying the nation. “The municipal authorities in Israel were on the front lines of the home front, both during the attacks of October 7 and also when we faced dozens of missiles from Iran, providing continuous and professional support for the population during emergencies,” says Bibas.
“We worked around the clock to make sure that those injured received immediate treatment, and that those who needed shelter had somewhere to go. On October 7, we were the first to transfer our own municipal budgets to support authorities in the south and the north, helping them keep their heads above water and survive the initial stages.”
While attributing the lion’s share of Israel’s success during the war to the heroism of the country’s soldiers, the leadership of the government headed by Prime Minister Netanyahu, and the extraordinary level of cooperation between Israel and the United States, Bibas asserts that the success of local municipalities dealing with the home front during the war is noteworthy on a global scale, adding that delegations representing municipalities from around the world have been visiting Israel, to learn from its successes in this area, as well as its efforts in modernizing the services offered to residents.
“Just yesterday,” says Bibas, “two delegations arrived here. The first was from a South American municipality, with dozens of mayors and senior officials. Later, another delegation came from Ohio. They came to see our command centers, control systems, innovation hubs, and all the processes we went through. It is crucial for them to learn, because in the end, municipal management of the home front is something every local authority deals with—whether in Israel, the US, Europe, or South America. Ultimately, we all deal with the same issues: education, welfare, transportation, culture, and serving residents.”
Explaining the success of Israel’s municipalities in dealing with the war, he explains, “Ever since the Second Lebanon War in 2006, when many northern municipalities struggled, the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel has worked in very close coordination with Israel’s Home Front Command, including assigning an accompanying officer to every municipality to ensure full emergency preparedness. This includes two major annual drills, department-level drills, and emergency response simulations.
“For example, during the recent war with Iran, we had to deal with missile strikes, evacuating residents, rescue operations, and clearing rubble— scenarios we’ve practiced at least twice a year for over a decade. Just last week, I visited a site we built in the city to simulate a missile strike on a building. This level of readiness builds deep public trust.”
Beyond national security emergencies, says Bibas, residents of municipalities view their mayor as responsible for all issues, including education, welfare, transportation, parks, and cleanliness. “If there’s a fire in Judea and Samaria or people are throwing stones at cars on Route 443, the city resident turns to the mayor, not the defense minister or IDF commanders. This closeness builds trust.”
In addition to his duties as head of the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel, Bibas has served as mayor of Modi’in-Maccabaim-Re’ut (population 102,000) since 2008, one of Israel’s most modern and well-planned cities. Bibas says that the secret of the city’s success – commonly known as Modi’in – lies in education.
“My worldview is simple,” he explains. Since day one, 50% of the city’s municipal budget goes to education. Education is the foundation of the city’s success. Alongside that, we invest heavily in parks, cleanliness, resident services, and advanced innovation systems in the city.”
Another standout feature of Modi’in-Maccabaim-Re’ut is its innovation center and smart city dashboard, which helps city administrators identify and solve issues quickly. “Before we established our innovation center and smart city dashboard,” shares Bibas, “we were able to resolve between 80 to 85% of municipal issues. Today, unresolved issues are between 3% and 3.5%. Residents know that when they have a problem, they turn to the municipality first. Even the police discovered that residents prefer calling 106, the municipal hotline, rather than 100, the police hotline, even for issues that are technically under police authority. This shows that residents have complete trust in the system.”
Returning to the Federation of Local Authorities, Bibas says he views the organization as a coordinator between the national government and municipalities. “Just last week,” he points out, “during the passage of the state budget, we worked to significantly increase balancing grants—mainly for weaker municipalities—raising them to nearly NIS 3.8 billion, significantly reducing gaps. We also secured an additional NIS 300 million for education and many other budgets designed to provide more services and resources to residents.”
Bibas emphasizes the Federation’s role in assisting municipalities in difficult financial straits, including those in Arab towns and villages. “There are 192 municipalities that receive balancing grants. These are municipalities that mainly need the local government to maintain their budgets, add to them, and create interfaces and connections with the government ministries. Ultimately, the Federation knows how to deal with the mosaic of populations that live in the State of Israel and create solutions for everyone with the government offices.”
The Federation of Local Authorities has developed great expertise in developing its vision of “smart cities,” which Bibas terms “digital, safe, and AI-driven cities.” Says Bibas, “Smart cities are stronger cities. They operate transparently, efficiently, and cost-effectively. They respond quickly both during routine times as well as emergencies, and provide greater security, stability, and social resilience.”
He cites the Federation’s national innovation center that provides dashboard systems to dozens of municipalities throughout Israel. “Waste management is now monitored through sensors, weight controls, and smart systems, currently in 50–60 municipalities,” says Bibas. “This improves efficiency, transparency, and saves millions of shekels.
Another system offered by the Federation to Israeli municipalities is Muniforce, an urban management platform that integrates city data. “The system enables every local authority—large or small —to centralize all of its municipal data, identify needs in advance, and also respond in real time,” he explains.
A third system that is now being used as a pilot project in eight municipalities is Munibox, a type of digital municipal ‘wallet’ that centralizes all payments made by residents, including utilities, after-school programs, and property taxes, into a single easy-to-use app. “This will streamline billing, reduce the need for collection agencies, and help residents manage their finances.”
Beyond modernizing municipal management, the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel also manages person-to-person relationships, and Bibas points out that among the most vital is that between local municipalities and Jewish communities worldwide. “After October 7,” he says, “this relationship proved itself. When we needed to establish civilian rapid-response units immediately, we turned to our partner communities abroad. They helped provide equipment and resources that were unavailable here.”
Bibas points out that municipalities conduct a full schedule of activities with Jewish communities around the world, not only during wartime but also in day-to-day activities. “In routine times, we carry out many joint activities. Today, we even have young people doing their year of service in Rochester, within the community. This creates connections, and it builds a different kind of relationship.
“We need to deepen these connections. In recent years, we have maintained many of these connections, while others have cut them off or engaged less. As local governments, we continued to uphold these ties, and I think that after October 7, it became clear that this is perhaps one of the most important things of all. In the end, at the moment of truth, the Jewish communities in the United States and North America stood alongside the State of Israel. That is something we must never forget.”
As we conclude our discussion, Bibas provides a sneak peek of the message he plans to deliver at the January 2026 Jerusalem Post Miami Summit, in which he will participate. “I think there are two central messages,” he says. “First, is the preparedness and readiness of local governments and municipalities. We are doing everything we can to be ready for the next military campaign – training, technological systems, emergency response tools – because in Israel, we must always be prepared. Second – this is a time for building and rebuilding. After two years of war, we must heal society, mend the internal rifts, and create renewal. Using the technological tools we have developed—both during the war and beforehand—we can build smarter, safer, AI-driven cities that provide better services and stronger communities. We want to bring this knowledge to municipalities and communities across the US and around the world.”
This article was written in cooperation with the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel