Miriam Feirberg-Ikar, the longtime mayor of Netanya and one of the most prominent figures in Israel’s local government, died Friday morning at her home. She was 74. City officials said she had been battling a serious illness in recent years.
Feirberg-Ikar led Netanya since 1998, winning six consecutive terms, most recently in February when she defeated challenger Avi Salama by a narrow margin. In March, the city renamed its municipal stadium “Miriam Stadium” in her honor.
About a year and a half ago, Feirberg-Ikar publicly acknowledged what she called a “health challenge” after rumors about her condition spread on WhatsApp. She reassured residents that she remained active and committed to serving the city, writing that she was supported by family, medical staff, municipal employees and council members.
Feirberg-Ikar was born in Acre and moved to Netanya at age 6. She held a bachelor’s degree in sociology, criminology and social work, and a master’s degree in social work from Bar-Ilan University. She spent 16 years as a social worker before becoming deputy and then director of the city’s social services division.
She entered politics in 1993 on the Likud slate for the Netanya city council. After serving as the council’s culture portfolio holder, she won the mayoral election in 1998. Early in her tenure, she was known for confronting local crime organizations. One confrontation in 2008 became widely remembered after she told mob figure Francois Abutbul during a filmed dispute, “You are a knife in Netanya’s back.”
Over the years Feirberg-Ikar faced several police investigations. She was first questioned in 1999 over alleged municipal funding of private investigative work; the case was closed in 2005 for lack of evidence. Another investigation opened in 2016 over construction permits. Police recommended indicting her a year later on bribery and breach of trust allegations, but prosecutors closed the case in 2019, also citing insufficient evidence.
Feirberg-Ikar was married to Eli Feirberg, with whom she had two children. In 2004 she married Roni Ikar, whom she had appointed two years earlier as the city’s chief executive. Ikar resigned ahead of their wedding and later stepped down from his role as director of the city’s water corporation following a High Court petition over conflict of interest concerns.