Israel’s Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky delivered the keynote address at the B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Award for Journalism Recognizing Excellence in Diaspora Reportage for 2022, held on July 6 in Jerusalem.

In a wide-ranging speech entitled “Not our war,” Brodsky said, although the war takes place at a far distance from Israel and the Middle East, in an area that has always been in the periphery of Israel’s national interests, the war in Ukraine has several direct implications for Israel, most of them negative, making Israel an inseparable part of what is happening. The many areas in which the war in Ukraine has significant impact on Israel turns a war that ostensibly is not Israel’s into a war that is ours, presenting Israel with very difficult choices between being part of the West and maintaining Israel’s strategic interests with respect to Russia, a superpower. So far, Israel has managed to maneuver in a pretty good way, choosing to be relatively cautious, yet with a clear line of solidarity with Ukraine.  

This is indeed Israel’s war, although so far it has been exposed to only the tip of the iceberg; the most significant implications lay ahead, he said.

Read Brodsky’s full, edited, translated remarks here.

2022 B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism Winners Honored During Ceremony

Ariel Kahana, political correspondent at Yisrael Hayom, was the recipient of the award in recognition of a series of articles and interviews about anti-Semitism in the United States, Israel-Diaspora relations and the integrity of the relationship in the time of COVID-19.

Yisrael Katzover, a veteran diplomatic and military reporter and commentator at Hamodia, received a Certificate of Merit for a series of articles on Jewish communities in Arab countries.

Veteran Yedioth Ahronoth journalist Shlomo Nakdimon received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his extensive and exceptional body of work, which spans more than six decades and reflects a profound commitment to the essence of the award.

A special citation for Fostering Israel-Diaspora Relations through the Arts in Memory of Naomi Shemer was presented to renowned singer, guitarist and composer Shuli Natan. The citation was established in 2014 and has been presented previously to Nurit Hirsh, David D’Or, Idan Raichel, David Broza, Yehoram Gaon, Shalva Band and Danny Sanderson. Shemer’s daughter Lely made a special presentation at the ceremony that fell on the 18th anniversary of her mother’s death.

Since its establishment in 1992, the B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism has recognized excellence in reporting on contemporary Diaspora Jewish communities and on the state of Israel-Diaspora relations in Israeli print, broadcast and online media. The award is widely recognized as the most prestigious prize in the Israeli media industry for Diaspora reportage and was established to help strengthen the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora. The award highlights the important contributions the media can make toward strengthening the relationship between Israel and world Jewry by encouraging quality reporting on Diaspora communities and Israel-Diaspora relations.

The distinguished members of the award jury are: Ya’akov Ahimeir, former editor and anchor, Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation, and Lifetime Achievement Award winner for 2016; Yehudith Auerbach, former head of the Department of Journalism and Communication Studies, Bar-Ilan University; Professor Emeritus Sergio DellaPergola, The Institute of Contemporary Jewry, Hebrew University; Sallai Meridor, former Israeli ambassador to the United States and former chairman of the Zionist Executive and Jewish Agency for Israel; Professor Gabriela Shalev, former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations; journalist Yair Sheleg; and Asher Weill, publisher and editor of “Ariel,” The Israel Review of Arts and Letters (1981-2003).

The award was established in memory of the late Wolf Matsdorf, editor of the World Center-Jerusalem’s journal “Leadership Briefing” and a journalist in Israel and Australia, and his wife, Hilda, a pioneer in social work in both Australia and Israel. The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented in memory of Luis and Trudi Schydlowsky, lifelong Zionists and leaders of the Peruvian Jewish Community, who published the Jewish Telegraphic Agency daily news bulletin in Peru for 30 years.

The award is made possible through donations from the Matsdorf family and B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem board member Professor Daniel Schydlowsky.

Read edited, translated remarks from the awardees here.

Watch the full ceremony on our Facebook page here.

Watch the event highlights here.