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,…

Hadash, Labor and Meretz lawmarkers meet in solidarity with Prof. Oded Goldreich at the Knesset in Jerusalem, April 19, 2021.

Scientists Call on Education Min. to Give Israel Prize to Communist Prof

Eighteen prominent international scientists wrote to Israel’s far-right Minister of Education, Yoav Gallant, on Thursday, April 22, to protest his decision to withhold the Israel Prize from Professor Oded Goldreich of the Weizmann Institute of Science, a political activist and member of Hadash and the Communist Party of Israel. According to Haaretz, the scientists, outstanding figures…

Israel Prize laureate Prof. David Harel, left, a computer scientist who was granted the award in 2004, presents his own award statue to Goldreich at an "alternative ceremony" that took place at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Sunday, April 11, 2021. To the right is Hadash MK Ofer Cassif.

Five Israel Prize Winners Denounce Denying Award to Communist Prof.

Renowned Israeli film director and actress Michal Bat-Adam, a recipient of one of this year’s prestigious Israel Prizes, denounced on Sunday, April 11, far-right Education Minister Yoav Gallant’s move to withhold the prize from another nominee, Professor Oded Goldreich, due to that latter’s political views. During the recording of the awards ceremony on Sunday, Bat-Adam received…

500 Academicians: EU Legitimizing Israel’s Illegal W. Bank Settlements

Over 500 academicians from 20 countries (in Europe, Latin-America, the US and Israel) last week published an open letter condemning Horizon 2020, the EU’s most recent science program, for granting research funds to Israeli scholars working at Ariel University in the occupied Palestinian territory . The signatories to the letter entitled “Ariel University and Horizon…