President's Medal (Israel)

The President's Medal (Hebrew: עיטור נשיא מדינת ישראל‎‎, Itur Nesi Medinat Yisra'el) (also called the Medal of Distinction^[1]) is the highest civil medal given by the State of Israel. It was first presented on March 1, 2012 in Beit HaNassi by the President of Israel, Shimon Peres. It was awarded to five people and one organisation "who have made an outstanding contribution to the State of Israel or to humanity, through their talents, services, or in any other form."

The President's Medal has been created through the design of the French Légion d'Honneur and designed by Yossi Matityahu.^[2]

Recipients

• Henry Kissinger, 2012
• Judith Feld Carr, 2012
• Rashi Foundation, 2012
• Rabbi Adin Even Yisrael, 2012
• Zubin Mehta, 2012
• Uri Slonim, 2012
• Barack Obama, 2013^[3]
• Bill Clinton, 2013^[4]
• Elie Wiesel, 2013^[5]
• Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, 2014^[6]
• Lia Van Leer, 2014^[6]
• Avi Naor, 2014^[6]
• Rabbi Avraham Elimelech Firer, 2014^[6]
• Brig.-Gen. Avigdor Kahalani, 2014^[6]
• Avner Shalev, 2014^[6]
• Dr. Harry Zvi Tabor, 2014^[6]
• Jack Mahfar, 2014^[6]
• Angela Merkel, 2014^[7]
• Giorgio Napolitano, 2014^[8]
• Ruth Dayan, 2014^[9]
• Stef Wertheimer, 2014^[9]
• Kamal Mansour, 2014^[9]
• Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, 2014^[9]
• Prof. Reuven Feuerstein, 2014^[9]

References

1. ↑ Presidential Medal of Distinction
2. ↑ Peres unveils “President’s Medal” for service to Israel
3. ↑ President Peres awards President Obama with Presidential Medal of Distinction
4. ↑ Peres confers Medal of Distinction on Clinton
5. ↑ Peres awards Elie Wiesel the Presidential Medal of Distinction
6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 President honors eight Israelis with presidential award.
7. ↑ President Peres awards Germany's Merkel Medal of Distinction
8. ↑ Peres to confer Presidential Medal of Distinction on Italian president
9. 1 2 3 4 5 Peres honors five Israeli success stories, two weeks before he leaves