Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu expressed his deep sorrow Friday over the passing of his friend, Ariel Mayor and former MK Ron Nachman.

“Today, I have lost a dear friend. Ron was a great Zionist patriot. I loved him very much. In his vision, he established and built up the city of Ariel. He was entirely devoted to the revival of the Jews in their land and to the construction of a flourishing city in Samaria.

“Until his last moments, he worked to strengthen and develop Ariel. We recently spoke about the recognition of a university in Ariel and he was very excited over an additional goal that he had secured for settlement in Israel.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke with Ron Nachman’s widow, Dorit, and conveyed his condolences, and those of the people of Israel, to the Nachman family and the residents of Ariel.

Nachman’s funeral will take place at the Nationwide Center for Development of Leadership, in the Etgarim Park at Ariel at 2:00 pm Sunday. Nachman asked to buried there and not at a cemetery.