Nir Barkat is the mayor of Jerusalem, an entrepreneur, an IDF commander and a statesman. He has lived in Jerusalem his entire life and currently resides with his family in Beit HaKerem neighborhood in Jerusalem.

Nir joined the IDF in 1977, serving as a company commander in the elite Paratroopers Brigade and fighting in the First Lebanon War.

Nir founded his first company in 1988 which specializing in antivirus software. From there on he became a pioneer in the Israeli Hi-Tech industry. He was a key investor in such Israeli startup companies as Check Point, where he also served as the company’s first chairman.

A social entrepreneur, Nir Barkat, established many philanthropic initiatives, among them: The Snunit Center for the Advancement of Web-Based Learning; venture capital funds; New Spirit, a voluntary organization that promotes the needs of young residents living in Jerusalem; Start-Up Jerusalem, a volunteer organization focused on developing Jerusalem’s competitive advances and more.

Retired as of 2003 from his various businesses, Nir ran for office and was elected to the Jerusalem City Council as the founder and chairman of the Yerushalayim Tatzli’ah Party. In his first term he served as the Leader of the Opposition on the Jerusalem Council for five years and led a series of public battles regarding matters of housing, economic development, upholding the law and maintaining the unique character of various neighborhoods throughout Jerusalem.

In 2008 he won the Jerusalem elections and was appointed mayor of Jerusalem. Since being elected mayor, Nir has received a yearly salary of a single shekel for two consecutive terms. During his time in office, Mayor Barkat has worked tirelessly to increase the number of Jewish children going to regular schools. He has also revolutionized parks, sporting opportunities, career, options as well as Jerusalem culture and education. By doing so, mayor Barkat has transformed Jerusalem into the thriving, multi-cultural, international city that it is today.

Mayor Barkat also oversaw the planning and implementation of the Jerusalem Light Rail.