Barkat to double Jerusalem cultural budget to NIS 20 million

By ETGAR LEFKOVITS
Jerusalem Mayor-elect Nir Barkat announced late Sunday that he is doubling the city's annual cultural budget to NIS 20 million. "There is a huge potential for the expansion of cultural activities in Jerusalem both for locals and for tourists around the world," Barkat said at a gala event marking the launching of the fourth-annual 'Hamshushalayim', three weekends of free or discounted cultural events in the city which begin this Thursday night. "Hamshushlayim is just the tip of the iceberg," he said. By comparison, the annual budget for culture in Tel Aviv is NIS 80 million.