Academic uses Israel Prize $20,000 award money to help Palestinians

[lego 44,165]

A professor who won a prestigious Israeli prize has promised to donate the award money to a group of peace activists striving to achieve full civic equality between Israelis and Palestinians.

David Shulman, an American-born Israeli who teaches at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, won the Israel Prize for his academic work on the languages and cultures of India. 

He said he will donate the $20,000 (£14,000) award to Ta’ayush - an Israeli group, co-founded by Mr Shulman, working to help Palestinians.

The award is given out by the State of Israel to people or organisations who have demonstrated excellence in their field and is generally regarded as the state's highest honour. It is presented annually on Israeli Independence Day as part of the celebrations to mark the foundation of the Israeli state.

Speaking about the award in a video on Thursday, Mr Shulman said: “I hesitated to accept this prize giving the deteriorating situation, which now includes persecution of Ta’ayush activists and other peace and human rights activists by the establishment and the far right, who seek to perpetuate the Occupation.”

 

Ta’ayush describes itself as a “grassroots movement working to break down the walls of racism, segregation, and apartheid by constructing a true Arab-Jewish partnership".

The group have been working for over a decade in areas of occupied Palestinian territories, focusing their efforts in the South Hebron Hills.

“In the South Hebron Hills we find a civilian population of several thousand Palestinians living in tents, in caves and in small khirbehs scattered over the hills,” says Mr Shulman.

“In the early 1980’s Israeli settlements were established in their midst and since then, the people of this region have been subject to frequent attacks by settlers and the security forces, who regularly destroy their homes. A continually worsening threat of expulsion hovers over them.”

Video footage shows Mr Shulman and his fellow Ta’ayush members helping Palestinian farmers with their harvests, cleaning wells, renovating roads and accompanying local school children along the settlement of Chavat Maon.

“We in Ta'ayush feel an ethical duty to defend the innocent civilian population and to stand by them in the face of on-going violence,” says Mr Shulman. “I have decided to donate the prize money to supporting the on-going activists of Ta’ayush.”

 

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israeli-academic-uses-israel-prize-20000-award-money-to-help-palestinians-a7029516.html

 

[Azor Ahai 18,861]

Inb4 "antisemetic" 

[River 127,349]

A little bit of information about the amazing organization that works on bringing together Israelis and Palestinians and fighting against racism and hate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta'ayush

Well done David Shulman, he always supported co-existing and promoted peace.

[brizoda 4,176]

Well done

[Addison Rae 18,088]

Aw that's so generous!! Really thoughtful too. 

[LebaneseDude 6,146]

More people like him please.

[Aesta 109]

This is beautiful, his movement during this recession time for the states is indeed generous and compassionate

[Melech 9,900]

Lol at the title. It helps Palestinians and Jews.

[lego 44,165]

28 minutes ago, Simon said:

Lol at the title. It helps Palestinians and Jews.

 

Of course you'd find something to complain about. 

What is wrong with the title? That's original one.

From the description and bolded parts it shows what they're doing. 

 

[Lion Heart 15,041]

Very nice.

[TiphEret 1,320]

That's really inspiring and nice for once to hear some news about peace building rather than attacks, I think it's quite brave he did that because whatever you do in such context is always political! I hope his organisation will be successful in what their goals.