Education Minister Yoav Kisch announced this week to US President Donald Trump that he will receive "the most prestigious prize awarded by the State of Israel" at the Israel Prize Ceremony, sponsored for his "unique contribution to the Jewish people."
The ceremony is held annually on Independence Day and is attended by the winners, their family members, and other dignitaries, with participation from the prime minister, the president, and the education minister. However, it is doubtful whether the world's most powerful man, the US president, will sit on stage for hours.
2 million shekels
In recent years, numerous scandals have been linked to the ceremony – and there is an attempt to make it as glittering as possible, primarily through the hosts and artists who perform at it. But this comes with high costs. The ceremony can cost nearly 2 million shekels ($560,000).
In recent years, the total amount of the prizes has increased to 900,000 shekels ($252,000), reflecting the number of winners that year. All winners receive an identical cash prize of 75,000 shekels ($21,000). US President Donald Trump, who is one of the wealthiest people in the world, will also receive this prize unless he chooses to waive it.
The artists' fees cost the Education Ministry about 150,000-170,000 shekels ($42,000-$47,600) each year. Among the glittering names who have appeared in previous years – Odaya, Itay V, Roni Dalumi, Hanan Ben Ari, and even Omer Adam. Makeup for Education Minister Yoav Kisch and the winners totals 5,000 shekels ($1,400). For the event's filming and production, the Education Ministry pays 170,000 shekels ($47,600). Of course, other ministers also received a makeup artist, and the makeup line item has risen in recent years from 3,500 shekels ($980) to 5,000 shekels ($1,400).
In addition to the ceremony itself, there are preliminary costs. The winners receive prestigious certificates alongside the cash prize. The frames for the certificates cost the Education Ministry 3,068 shekels ($860). The Education Ministry also produces a printed booklet listing the winners and their work. Writing the booklet cost the ministry over 18,000 shekels ($5,040). Printing services cost an additional 15,000 shekels ($4,200).
Each prize committee is composed of three members. For the US president, they chose Miriam Peretz, the committee chair; Moshe Adri, a producer; and Michal Abadi-Boiangiu, who is expected to return to the position of Accountant General at the Treasury. All are close associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The judges do their work voluntarily, but transportation costs to convene them run into the tens of thousands of shekels. Among other things, sums of 12,484 shekels ($3,496) were paid to one transportation company, and another 8,852 shekels ($2,479) to another transportation company, and the list is long – funds that the Education Ministry could have saved if the committee had met online.
