High court to hear petition on cancellation of Israel Prize award to government critic

The High Court of Justice will hear petitions against Education Minister Yoav Kisch’s decision to reduce the scope of this year’s Israel Prize, on March 28.

According to reports in the Hebrew press, Kisch cancelled the regular categories for the prize to avoid having the prestigious award given to entrepreneur Eyal Waldman, who was strongly critical of the government’s judicial overhaul agenda.

Attorney Shahar Ben Meir filed a petition to the High Court at the end of February arguing that Kisch had acted without due authority and in contravention of the Israel Prize regulations in stripping down the Israel Prize to just two war-related categories this year, after the award’s selection committee picked Waldman for the Entrepreneurship Award and refused to change its decision despite Kisch’s request that it reconsider.

In early March, a second petition was filed against Kisch’s decision by the Bashaar – Academic Community for Israeli Society group representing some 2,000 academics, arguing that it did “mortal damage” to the Israel Prize institution, harmed the rights of the selection committee members, and the rights of the general public to obtain public recognition for their work.

Justices Isaac Amit, Ofer Grosskopf, and Ruth Ronen will hear the petitions.