At Israel Prize ceremony, a warning of ‘brain drain’

Israel concluded its Independence Day ceremonies on Tuesday night with the Israel Prize award ceremony in Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, Supreme Court President Asher Grunis and Education Minister Shai Piron were in attendance as honors were given to outstanding scholars, scientists and intellectuals.

Among the awards given were two lifetime achievement awards: to the late Ron Nachman, the longtime mayor of Ariel who died in January, and to Hebrew songwriting scholar Eliyahu Hacohen.

Prizes were also awarded to Prof. Adam Mazor (architecture), Prof. Gideon Dagan (earth sciences), Prof. Nathan Nelson (life sciences), Prof. Yosef Kaplan (Jewish history), Prof. Chava Turniansky (Yiddish), Prof. Nola Chelton (theater) and Prof. Yoram Bilu (sociology and anthropology).

It was Piron, however, who garnered the most attention, commenting that he was concerned about “brain drain” — the emigration of talented and learned Israelis for more lucrative careers abroad.

“I’m not as concerned about the emigration of a tycoon as I am about ‘brain drain’ and decreasing research opportunities,” he said, adding that the state’s resources should be allocated to the development of human capital.

A society is measured by how appreciated its intellectuals and creative people are, Piron said. “We must do everything in our power so that the names of Nobel laureates, Israel Prize winners, scholars and intellectuals, writers and revolutionaries are celebrated in our culture.”