On 14\10\2008 With a big congregation of religious personalities, the Mayor of Nazareth Mr. Ramez Geraysi , Past District Governor the Honorable Member of the Hight Courts in Israel Selim Jubran, District Goveernor of Rotary Israel Dr. Yael Lazaruts and several VIPs from the Nazareth Business,Cultural and Social personalities together with members of the Rotary Clubs of Nazareth, Upper Nazareth Rama, Carmel Haifa. Mghar, Migdal Haemek and others attended a special Rotary Meeting to honor His Beatitude the ex Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Holy Land Michel Sabbah.

Patriarch Michel sabbah was the first Arab Patriarch in the Holy Land. He served the Catholic communities of the Palestinian Authority Areas, Israel and Jordan for twenty years defending the rights of the Palestinians fighting to end the occupation and defending the rights of the Christians in the area.

President Issawi welcomed the Patriarch and all those present to celebrate with the Rotary Club of Nazareth bestowing the Paul Harris Medal to His Beatitude Patriarch Michel Sabbah.

There were other speakers who extended praise to His Beatitude

among them Mayor Geraysi, the Vatican Ambassador in Israel, Bishop Marcutso, Father Emile Shoufani, Bishop of the Anglican Church Suheil Diwani.

The last speaker of the evening was Past District Governor Yusef Srouji who gave a short history of the Rotary movement in the world, then how after the death of its founder Paul Harris, Rotary started giving a medal in the name of Paul Harris to those that work and whose actions are to the benefit of Humanity at large.

PDG Srouji gave some of the names that were given the Paul Harris Medal like Mother Theresa.