Yona Yahav, mayor of Haifa in Israel, led a delegation to visit Hongkou district on December 15. Zhao Yongfeng, deputy secretary of the CPC Hongkou District Committee and head of the Hongkou District Government, met with the Haifa mayor and his delegation.

Zhao Yongfeng said Shanghai and Haifa forged sister-city ties in 1993 and Hongkou district and xxxxxx district of Haifa became sister districts in 2009. Since then, the two sides have carried out productive cooperation in the educational, cultural, economic, scientific and technological areas. He hoped the two sides will, with the active support of the Haifa mayor, further explore ways of cooperation and exchange and strengthen cooperation and exchange in education, culture, high technology and trade. He went on to say the Hongkou people and the Jewish people forged profound friendship during World War II and Hongkou still maintains the former sites of the Jewish refugees’ life in those years. He asked for kind suggestions from the visiting Haifa mayor as to the collection and maintenance of historical data of the Jewish refugees.

Mayor Yona Yahav said Haifa and xxxxxx district have had friendly and fruitful exchange and cooperation with Hongkou district in various areas over the years, and he called for increasing exchange in the scientific research, economic, trade and talent training areas in the future in promotion of development of both sides. He also stressed Hongkou accepted and protected large numbers of Jewish refugees from Europe during World War II and that friendship will be remembered for ever.