Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Reuven Rivlin, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, Supreme Court President Justice Miriam Naor, and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat were all present at the Jerusalem International Convention Center on Thursday for the presentation of the Israel Prizes for 2016. This year's laureates were Professor Edit Doron (linguistics); Professor Meir Lahav and Professor Leslie Leiserowitz (chemistry and physics), Professor Yossi Katz (geography, archaeology, and land of Israel studies); Professor David Shulman (religious studies); Professor Yohanan Friedmann (Near Eastern studies); Professor Emeritus Eviatar Nevo (life sciences); Hadas Efrat (performance art: theater and dance); Nurit Hirsch (Hebrew song and folk art); Rabbi Eli Sadan (life work, special contribution to the nation and to society); and Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog (life work, special contribution to the nation and to society). Almog also said, "Our son Eran didn't know what independence was. ... From the age of 8 months, Eran was diagnosed with autism and severe retardation. The sky came crashing down on us. We were forced to rebuild our lives. ... We swore we would never be ashamed of him." Before the ceremony, Shulman sparked controversy by his decision to donate his 75,000 shekels (about $20,000) in prize money to the left-wing nonprofit group Taayush -- Arab-Jewish Partnership, in which he is active. The prestigious Israel Prize for life work wasn't the only prize bestowed in the capital on Thursday. Elkana Friedman, 14, won the annual International Bible Quiz for Jewish youth, held at the Jerusalem Theater. Initially, Friedman, a student at the Bnei Tzvi Yeshiva in Beit El, beat 60 contestants from Israel and the rest of the world. The last contestant he beat for the title was Tehila Matas, sister of last year's winner, Eyal Matas.
Credit: Government Press Office
Almog, the founder and chairman of the rehabilitation community ALEH Negev-Nahalat Eran, said in his speech: "I would like this ceremony to serve as the start of a long journey toward making the world a better place, to making Israeli society more tolerant and inclusive."
