President Reuven Rivlin on Sunday bestowed the Israel Defense Prize – the country's highest honor in the field of security – on three classified defense projects countering significant threats to state security.
Standing beside Rivlin at the ceremony were Defense Minister Benny Gantz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, Defense Ministry Director Maj. Gen (ret.) Amir Eshel, Mossad Director Yossi Cohen, Israel Security Agency Director Nadav Argaman, and former National Security Adviser Yaakov Amidror.
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The prize, named for famed pre-state Hagana force commander Eliyahu Golomb, is awarded for projects and actions that made a special contribution to state security and maintaining Israel's qualitative advantages on the battlefield, in both technology and operations.
The nature of the three projects that won the prize remains largely classified. The winning projects comprised teams from the military, Mossad intelligence agency, Shin Bet security agency, the Defense Ministry, and leading military industry contractors.
Rivlin praised the recipients, saying they exemplified "vision, resolve, and gumption," and noting those involved in the projects pursued their mission with "daring determination," resulting in "significant contribution to state security."
"It's not just the high-level ability, it's not just the out-of-the-box thinking, it's not just the teamwork, it is principally always, always being ahead of the enemy," he said.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz also lauded the winners, saying the prize represented the country's appreciation for their clandestine work and tireless efforts on its behalf.
In addition, a lifetime achievement award was presented to a senior Mossad agent.
The agent, identified only as "A." was honored "for his decade-long contribution to state security and for his initiative in developing many technological solutions while displaying outstanding talent, creativity, curiosity, and courage," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The Israel Defense Prize has been awarded annually by the president since 1958. Though the prize is sometimes given for lifetime achievement, generally the recipients are responsible for the creation of a new piece of technology or for a specific operation.
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