Israel Prize ceremony concludes 78th Independence Day with historic firsts

As 14 Israelis are honoured with the Jewish state’s top award, U.S. President Donald Trump becomes the first noncitizen laureate.

Israel’s most prestigious civilian honour was awarded to 14 laureates on Wednesday evening in Jerusalem, closing the celebrations of the country’s 78th Independence Day.

 

Held in the presence of President Isaac Herzog, Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Education Minister Yoav Kisch, the Israel Prize ceremony featured historic firsts and emotional moments, including remarks by Kisch that brought him to tears.

For the first time in the prize’s history, the honour was extended to a non-Israeli citizen: U.S. President Donald Trump, who was awarded a newly created category for “unique contribution to the Jewish people”.

A second new category, “Young Leadership”, was inaugurated and awarded to Adi Altschuler, founder of the Krembo Wings youth movement for children and young adults with disabilities.

The ceremony at Jerusalem’s International Convention Centre (Binyanei HaUma), hosted by TV host Neta-Lee Shem Tov and actor Israel Atias.

Trump honoured in absentia

Trump did not attend the ceremony, and a planned video greeting was cancelled. His visit to Israel to receive the award was reportedly postponed due to the security situation and the ongoing conflict with Iran.

The prize committee cited Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the relocation of the U.S. embassy, efforts to combat antisemitism and his stance against Iran’s nuclear program as grounds for the award, describing his actions as having “genuine historic significance”.

Kisch, who invited Trump to receive the honour, said awarding the prize to a non-Israeli reflects recognition of a contribution that “went beyond the bounds of ordinary diplomacy and directly affected the security of the state.” Israel plans to formally present the award during a future visit.

Kisch remembers his son

One of the most emotional moments came during Kisch’s address, when he spoke about his late son, Matan, who had a rare genetic condition and never spoke.

“The greatest pain was for everything I understood he would never experience,” Kisch said. “But Matan taught me a life lesson. That pain was mine, not his.”

Matan had been a member of Krembo Wings, the organisation founded by Altschuler, who received the Young Leadership prize. Addressing her directly, Kisch said: “You built a bridge where others saw only difficulty. Matan felt loved, wanted, and he belonged.”

Young leadership: Adi Altschuler

Altschuler, who founded Krembo Wings in 2002 at age 16, said education was her calling and urged young people to pursue their goals.

“I feel it chose me,” she said. “Those who preserve a legacy are those who feel it truly belongs to them.”

The movement now operates dozens of branches across Israel, integrating young people with disabilities into mainstream society. Altschuler also founded Zikaron BaSalon, a grassroots Holocaust remembrance initiative, in 2011.

Honoring Israel’s bereaved

In the Lifetime Achievement category, the prize was jointly awarded to Irit Oren Gonders, founder of Or LaMishpachot, and Chantal Belzberg, founder of OneFamily, for their work supporting bereaved families and victims of terror.

“Your child is a child of an entire nation,” Oren Gonders told bereaved parents. “Because a nation that remembers its past will also have a future.”

“A family is not only a biological matter,” Belzberg said. “It is someone who holds your hand and goes through things with you.”

Science and academia

Five prizes were awarded in science and research, including to Professor Reshef Tenne for work in nanomaterials; Professor Shulamit Michaeli-Goldberg for life sciences research; Professor Benjamin Weiss for mathematics and computer science; Dr Mira Bar-Matthews for geology and climate research; and Professor Micha Popper for management science.

“Israel is my natural place,” Tenne said. “I have no other.”

Humanities and the arts

In the humanities, Professor Yosef Shitrit was honoured for research into Jewish languages, while Professor Billy Melman received recognition for general history.

In the arts, veteran actor Gabi Amrani was awarded for his contributions to Israeli cinema, and 97-year-old sculptor Yaakov Agam was recognised for decades of work in kinetic art.

“If I don’t give you a moment of pure love, I have failed,” Agam said.

Pioneer in trauma medicine

Professor Avi Rivkind, founder of Israel’s first trauma unit at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem, received a Lifetime Achievement prize and delivered closing remarks on behalf of the laureates.

“We came from different worlds, but there is one thing that unites us—we all love this land,” he said. “Israel at its best is not a state. It is a family.”

Rivkind concluded with a tribute to Israel’s fallen and a message of unity: “May the memory of all the fallen be blessed and may the hands of all who carry on be strengthened.”