Bloomberg Philanthropies has partnered with the Israeli Ministry of the Interior and the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation to expand Hazira, a new effort to advance civic innovation in Israeli Municipalities.

Hazira, currently active in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Beersheva, will expand the I-Teams program to 12 new cities in Israel over five years. The aim is to encourage innovation in order to provide city leaders with reliable ways to adapt and implement solutions that improve the lives of residents. “Cities have to find creative ways to address complex challenges with limited resources. Innovation teams help them do that,” said former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies.