Natan Sharansky, the former Soviet Jewish refusenik who spent nine years in the Soviet gulag for his Zionist and human rights activism, has been awarded Israel’s highest civilian honor, the Israel Prize.
Sharansky went on to serve as a minister in Israel’s cabinet and as chairman of the Jewish Agency for the past nine years.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett announces the award in a Twitter post, saying:
“I just told Natan Sharansky he was chosen as the Israel Prize laureate for aliya and the ingathering of the exiles on the 70th anniversary of the state. Natan symbolizes the fulfillment of the Zionist dream. From the darkness of the Soviet prison as a Prisoner of Zion, to the light of liberty as leader of the Jewish Agency. Avital, his wife, is a symbol of courage and Jewish sacrifice,” Bennett extols.
The education minister then shares a video about Sharansky’s life.
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From the Liveblog of
Sunday, March 18, 2018
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