Education Minister Yoav Kish Blocks Israel Prize for Sociology Award to Prof. Eva Illoz

Education Minister Yoav Kish has refused to award the prestigious Israel Prize for Sociology to Professor Eva Illoz, as determined by the prize committee, due to her involvement in a 2021 case brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague against Israel. The case, which accuses Israel of war crimes in the occupied territories, has led Kish to demand a re-hearing of the committee's decision. Kish further stated that he would reconsider his objection if Illoz publicly apologizes for her actions.

Prof. Eva Illoz, a prominent academic born in Fez, Morocco, and a professor at the Hebrew University, is renowned for her work on mass media and modern capitalism. She has also served as president of the Bezalel Academy of Fine Arts and is a recipient of the AME Prize for Sociology. Illoz has long been an outspoken critic of Israel's occupation policies, frequently writing articles for Haaretz and holding strong positions against the occupation.

Kish's objections stem from Illoz’s participation in an appeal submitted to the ICC in May 2021. In the appeal, she called for an investigation into Israel’s actions in the occupied territories, claiming that Israel's own legal institutions were failing to adequately investigate alleged war crimes. Kish condemned this as an “extraordinary appeal” that sought to undermine Israel’s sovereignty and cast doubt on its legal and judicial systems. He further stated that he could not endorse an individual who had taken such a step, especially in light of the ongoing conflict and its impact on Israel's security forces and leadership.

In a letter to the prize committee, Kish argued that after the tragic events of October 7, there was no justification for awarding Israel's highest state honor to someone who had approached an international body seen as collaborating with terrorist organizations in persecuting Israeli soldiers. He emphasized that, while Illoz’s academic achievements are significant, her actions outside the academic sphere must be taken into account when awarding the prize.

Kish offered Illoz an opportunity to withdraw her appeal to the ICC and publicly apologize for her involvement, stating that he would reconsider his position if she did so.

This decision echoes a similar controversy from the previous year when Kish canceled all state prizes, except those related to heroism, after high-tech entrepreneur Eyal Waldman, a supporter of protests against the government, was selected for the Entrepreneurship Prize. He was forced to reverse this decision following legal challenges from the Prime Minister’s Legal Advisor.

The dispute over Illoz’s prize reflects broader tensions in Israeli politics, where issues of national security and international relations increasingly intersect with cultural and academic recognition.