Former Prisoner of Zion and Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky was named this year's recipient of the Israel Prize lifetime achievement award, for his efforts to promote aliyah and immigrant absorption.
Habayit Hayehudi leader Education Minister Naftali Bennett called Sharansky on Sunday to announce the news. Sharansky, 70, told Israel Hayom that he was stunned to learn he had been chosen to receive the prize, which is the highest honor the state bestows.
Sharansky was born in 1948 and studied mathematics in Moscow. He became a prominent leader of the struggle for Soviet Jewry in the 1970s and was arrested by Soviet authorities in 1977. He was later convicted of treason on charges of spying for the United States. Sharansky was sentenced to 13 years of hard labor and served 16 months in prison before being transferred to a Soviet labor camp, where he spent nine years.
Following a massive pressure campaign on the Soviet Union, including from then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan, Sharansky was released as part of a 1986 U.S-Soviet prisoner exchange and immigrated to Israel in 1986.
In 1996, Sharansky entered politics with his party, Yisrael Be'aliyah, which focused on the issues pertaining to immigrants from the Soviet Union. The party merged into Likud in 2003. Sharansky served in a variety of roles during his tenure as a lawmaker, including as industry and trade, interior, construction and housing, and Jerusalem affairs minister, as well as deputy prime minister.
In 2009, Sharansky was named the head of the Jewish Agency. He announced his retirement last year and is due to step down in June, after nine years in office.
Announcing the prize, Bennett said that Sharansky "embodied the fulfillment of the Zionist dream – from the darkness of a Soviet prison to the symbol of liberty as the head of the Jewish Agency."
President Reuven Rivlin congratulated Sharansky, saying, "You have traveled a long and moving journey, from Prisoner of Zion, a symbol of the struggle for freedom, then MK and senior minister, now chairman of the Jewish Agency. Dear Natan, we are blessed to have you."
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein also congratulated Sharansky.
Recalling his conversation with Bennett, Sharansky said, "This is very exciting. I'm not usually one to get emotional over ceremonies and awards, but there is something very special about receiving the [Israel] Prize on the year marking the 70th Independence Day.
"When Minister Bennett called, I thought it was about [Jewish] Agency business, so I contacted the professional elements first, to get an update on the joint projects we are heading," he said. "I received an update and called him back, but instead of he told me about the prize. I was speechless. I told him I see this also as a prize for my wife, Avital. … We could never have survived if not for the Jewish people's support."
In recent months, Sharansky has criticized government decisions affecting Diaspora Jews.
"I always have criticism. When I was in the government and when I was an aliyah activist – I always have a lot of criticism. It was only when I was in prison that I have a little less criticism," he said.
"I've been in Israel for 32 years. I left hell and went directly to heaven and I'm still in heaven. But even heaven needs some mending. As far ingathering of the Diaspora, it is very important that the State of Israel make it clear that it is the home of every Jew around the world. When it fails to do so, we have to rectify that and fight for it," he said.
