The Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour (, Itur Nesi Medinat Yisra'el), formerly known as the President's Medal is the highest civil medal given by the President of the State of Israel.
History The President's Medal was first presented on March 1, 2012, in Beit HaNassi by President of Israel, Shimon Peres. In total, he awarded it to 26 people "who have made an outstanding contribution to the State of Israel or to humanity, through their talents, services, or in any other form." The medal, based on the French Légion d'Honneur, was designed by Yossi Matityahu and includes a verse from the Book of Samuel, which loosely translates as "head and shoulders [above the rest].
President Isaac Herzog revived the institution of the medal in 2022, awarding it for the first time since Shimon Peres in 2014. Under Herzog, the decoration was renamed the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour. Recipients include Czech President Miloš Zeman and U.S. President Joe Biden.
Recipients President's Medal 2012 Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State of the United States Judith Feld Carr, Canadian human rights advocate who arranged the freedom of thousands of Syrian Jews Nadav Ben Yehuda, for risking his life to rescue fellow climber on Mount Everest. , advocates social mobility and equality Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz (Even-Israel), editor of The Talmud: The Steinsaltz Edition Zubin Mehta, music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra , Special Consultant to several of Israeli Ministers of Defense on POWs and MIAs
2013 Barack Obama, President of the United StatesPresident Peres awards President Obama with Presidential Medal of Distinction Bill Clinton, former U.S. PresidentPeres confers Medal of Distinction on Clinton Elie Wiesel, human rights activistPeres awards Elie Wiesel the Presidential Medal of Distinction Steven Spielberg, movie director
2014 Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, Chief Rabbi of Migdal HaEmek, founder and dean of Migdal OhrPresident honors eight Israelis with presidential award. Lia Van Leer, founder of the Haifa Cinematheque, the Jerusalem Cinematheque, the Israel Film Archive and the Jerusalem Film Festival , Israeli businessman Rabbi Avraham Elimelech Firer, chairman and founder of Ezra LeMarpeh, a nonprofit organization that provides medical assistance to the needy Brig.-Gen. Avigdor Kahalani, soldier and former Minister of Internal Security Avner Shalev, chairman of the Yad Vashem directorate Dr. Harry Zvi Tabor, founder of the National Physical Laboratory of Israel, father of Solar power in Israel Jack Mahfar, Iranian Jewish philanthropist Angela Merkel, Chancellor of GermanyPresident Peres awards Germany's Merkel Medal of Distinction Giorgio Napolitano, President of ItalyPeres to confer Presidential Medal of Distinction on Italian president Ruth Dayan, social activist and founder of the Maskit fashion housePeres honors five Israeli success stories, two weeks before he leaves Stef Wertheimer, industrialist, philanthropist and former Knesset member , adviser on minority affairs to seven Israeli Presidents Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, former Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel Prof. Reuven Feuerstein, developmental psychologist and founder of the International Center for the Enhancement of Learning Potential
Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour 2022 Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic Joe Biden, President of the United States Nicos Anastasiades, President of Cyprus Dalia Fadila, Arab Israeli educator
2023 Chava Alberstein, a leading folk musician Adi Altschuler, founder of Zikaron BaSalon , a Jewish renewal activist Rabbi Menachem Hacohen, an interfaith leader and former Knesset member Mona Khoury, VP of strategy and diversity at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Maj.-Gen. (res.) Dan Tolkowsky, a retired Israeli Air Force officer Carmela Menashe, the military correspondent for Army Radio Bibars Natcho, former captain of the Israeli national football team Assad Araidy, an educator Lena Shtern, social entrepreneur André Azoulay, a senior adviser to Moroccan King Mohammed VI Irwin Cotler, former Canadian Justice Minister The Kemach Foundation, which promotes employment in Israel’s haredi (or ultra-Orthodox) sector, organizational prize
2024 Frank Lowy, Australian billionaire Mark Leibler, former President of the Zionist Federation of Australia
2025 Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania Donald Trump, President of the United States Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of Germany
2026
Javier Milei, President of Argentina
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