The President of the Academy, Prof. David Harel, proposes to transfer the administration of the Israel Awards jointly to the President's House and the National Academy of Sciences

Prof. Harel said these things at the meeting of the Knesset's Science Committee on Sunday this week, following the decision to cancel most of the categories of the Israel Awards and award an award to those who showed bravery during the invasion of Otef

The President of the Academy, Prof. David Harel, proposes to transfer the administration of the Israel Awards jointly to the President's House and the National Academy of Sciences. Prof. Harel said these things at the meeting of the Knesset's Science Committee on Sunday this week, following the decision to cancel the Israel Prizes and award a prize in a new category - bravery on October 7.

Prof. Harel explained: "Once and for all, the administration of the Israel Awards, everything, the selection of the categories, the appointment of the committees, the management of the discussion and decision processes, and the notification of the winners must be expropriated once and for all, by the Minister of Education, or any other political party. The ceremony itself must be done According to the usual format, with minor changes, but the Minister of Education will no longer be the best man of the award.

It is worth thinking for a moment about what might happen next year, if the current government is still with us, or there will be a government similar to it. Of course we all hope and pray that by then the war will be far behind us. The reservists are released, the displaced residents return to their homes. Gaza has devastated its unimaginable number of victims in the long process of recovery, reconstruction and reconstruction.

It is important to us that all the abductees, all the last and the last of them, be back in Israel. The families of those whose loved ones did not survive will mourn bitterly at their graves. And others are finally celebrating their safe return now. Do you think that next year, in the absence of war, will cause a fundamental change in the attitude of the Ministry of Education, I am not at all sure from the current minister's record, it is likely that he will probably not cancel the award altogether.

Because there will no longer be war as an excuse, but in the spirit of the times he will upgrade and perfect the Goldreich case (winner of the Israel Mathematics Prize to whom two ministers of education refused to give him the prize, and only following the High Court's decision was the prize given to him in a modest room in the Ministry of Education when Minister Kish did not participate) for all A bride, and a potential groom. The office officials will be asked to rummage through the past of the wonderful cancer researcher of the pulsating poet and the global expert on thought. Israel participated in the demonstration or signed a petition or refrained from buying a bottle of wine from somewhere, and they will check the obedience of the athlete who wins the world medals, of the physicist who discovers the secrets of the universe, and of the exciting Israeli singers or painters, whether they have ever spoken out against the government's actions or refused to appear at meetings. In Ofra or Ariel."

"Mr. Chairman, the Israel Prize must be administered by independent and apolitical state institutions, which recognize the centrality and power of science, research, culture and spirit and creativity in Israel and who have the ability to carry out the work professionally or without any external influences and foreign considerations, so my proposal is to establish in legislation that the prize will pass to the coordinated management of the President's House and the Israeli National Academy of Sciences. These bodies do not fear the authorities and do not operate under them The inverted sword of specific ministers, or of budgets that depend on their good behavior."

"The Academy of Sciences will be in charge of the awards in all fields of science and research. The so-called research awards, including the humanities and social sciences, and the President's House will be responsible for all the awards in the fields of creativity and art and the Lifetime Achievement Award."

"Each of the two bodies will appoint the relevant professional committees and will manage the process of submitting the candidates, the committee discussions, the decision-making. And the announcements about the winners will go out from the president's house and the academy in a coordinated manner."

I am not innocent, ladies and gentlemen, and it is clear that the proposal has no chance of being accepted by the current government, but since in any case it is appropriate that the Israel Prize be finally secured by serious legislation, it seems that this is the place to start with the building of the Knesset, the house of the legislative authority. In the discussion of one of the committees most relevant to the matter."

"What was built here in science, culture, creation and spirit. For 75 years will be swallowed up and disappear in the clock of war by the smell of blood in the obsessive concern and routine of life on the sword, and it will not be known that he came to his battle. Sorry for the bluntness in my words." Prof. Harel concluded.

To record the live broadcast of the Science Committee meeting on the Knesset website

More of the topic in Hayadan:

• President Herzog at the Academy President appointment ceremony: "It is our duty to strengthen the scientific forces against those who try to undermine them and challenge them"
• Eil Waldman in the Science Committee of the Knesset I would like to investigate in depth whether there was improper interference that led to the cancellation of the Israel Awards