Opposing the Winner, Education Minister to Skip Israel Prize Ceremony at Her Office

Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton will rebuff the Israel Prize ceremony for Prof. Oded Goldreich, after a High Court decision two weeks ago overruled her decision to withhold the prestigious academic prize. Mathematician Prof. Oded Goldreich is to receive the prize at the Education Ministry on Monday. Prof. Oded Goldreich (Photo: Zo Haderech) Ministry officials already told Goldreich last…

Communist Professor Will Receive Israel Prize, Supreme Court Rules

Israel’s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton must award the Israel Prize to a professor who supports the struggle against occupation of the Palestinian territories. A petition against Shasha-Biton’s decision was filed by the members of the prize committee that had initially awarded the honor to mathematician Prof. Oded Goldreich, a researcher…

Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton at the Trump settlement in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights

Final: Communist Professor Denied Israel Prize over Political Positions

Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton announced on Thursday, November 18, affirmation of her far-right predecessor’s decision to withhold the prestigious Israel Prize from communist Professor Oded Goldreich following the latter’s support for the Palestinian struggle, and specifically his call to boycott Ariel University in the occupied West Bank. Goldreich’s lawyer, Atty. Michael Sfard, called the decision “a…

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit

AG: Withholding of Israel Prize to Communist Academic Was Wrong

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit told the High Court of Justice on Thursday, July 23, that far-right former Education Minister Yoav Gallant’s decision to block a Communist professor from receiving the prestigious Israel Prize for his supposed backing of boycotts against Israel was wrong. In his response to a petition against Gallant’s decision, Mandelblit said the selection…

Israel's current Education Minister, Yifat Shasha-Biton, during her tenure as a Likud MK, confers with then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Education Minister Yoav Galant.

New Edu. Minister Won’t Reverse Vetoing of Prize to Communist Prof

Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton (New Hope), a former member of the Likud, will apparently inform Israel’s High Court of Justice and Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit that she does not intend to reverse the decision of her predecessor to deny the Israel Prize to Prof. Oded Goldreich, Kan Television 11 reported on Monday, July 5. Former Education Ministry Yoav Gallant…

Former Education Minister Yoav Gallant (left) with his mentor, previous PM Benjamin Netanyahu

Last Minute Final Decision Vetoes Israel Prize for Communist Scholar

Former Education Minister Yoav Gallant informed Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit on Friday, June 11, that he had finalized his decision to withhold the Israel Prize in mathematics and computer science from Prof. Oded Goldreich of the Weizmann Institute and a member of the Communist Party of Israel (CPI). According to an Haaretz editorial published on Sunday, June 13,…