Eil Waldman in the Science Committee of the Knesset I would like to investigate in depth whether there was improper interference that led to the cancellation of the Israel Awards

"The truth is that my candidacy was not liked by the Honorable Minister and those close to the Prime Minister and perhaps even the Prime Minister himself because I am known as an opponent of him and the regime revolution he tried to bring about," said Waldman, who is also a bereaved father after his daughter and her partner were murdered on October 7

Yesterday, the Science and Technology Committee of the Knesset, chaired by MK Ayman Odeh, held a special meeting following the decision to cancel the awarding of the traditional Israel awards this year and to settle for awards for bravery in the Iron Swords War.

As is well known, shortly after the announcement last week, the journalist Ben Caspit revealed that the decision was made because of Eyal Waldman's winning the Israel Prize for Entrepreneurship. As I recall, Waldman was the initiator of several high-tech companies, including Galileo, and the most prominent is Mellanox, which was sold in 2019 to Nvidia Global for $7 billion. The company even expanded its operations in Israel and the products developed here are at the core of Nvidia's artificial intelligence chips.

Here are the main points of his remarks at the Knesset's science conference

"First of all, I would like to thank the Knesset Committee for Science and Technology and its chairman for the invitation to come and speak before the committee. I would like to state at the outset that I did not come to the discussion to explain why I deserve to receive the Israel Entrepreneurship Award, I did not ask for the award and I am not chasing honors. I am here because I cannot afford myself and all those who are now fighting in Gaza, or in the north, to remain silent in the face of improper conduct and legal doubt regarding the sweeping decision and movement of the Minister of Education to cancel the Israel Awards for this year. Except in the new categories of mutual guarantee and rescue and civil bee. I claim that you have many reasons for this, that the decision to cancel all the awards and exclude others and not just Eyal Waldman. The prize resulted from the fact that the committee appointed for the purpose of awarding the Israel Prize in the field of entrepreneurship recommended to recommend the recommendation or was about to recommend me as the winner of the prize, the Minister of Education's claim that there is no place to award Israel Prizes during wartime, this is an invention designed to hide the truth from the public."

"The truth is that my candidacy was not liked by the Honorable Minister and people close to the Prime Minister and perhaps even the Prime Minister himself because I am known to be an opponent of him and the administrative revolution he tried to bring about. The claim that there is no place to award the prizes due to the war is a ridiculous invention from the last time. The war that broke out did not prevent the award committees in all categories from holding discussions and formulating their recommendations. The decision of the minister's decision to cancel the awards this year was only made due to the intention of the entrepreneurship committee to recommend me as an award winner. That is, the minister's decision is a person's body. And not to the point. The claim that prizes are not distributed in time of war is not only a fabricated claim, but it is a ridiculous claim precisely in time of war. The civil fields, entrepreneurship, science and culture must be strengthened."

"Families sacrifice what is dearest to them of all, and our good sons lose their lives to protect and preserve civil society, a country where culture, science and entrepreneurship are canceled with the palm of a hand. A democratic country, precisely in these terrible times, civil society must be strengthened. Unfortunately, the current government is constantly undermining the foundations of society and democracy. If there was truth in the minister's claim, then one could expect the cancellation of all Independence Day ceremonies. But it doesn't happen. On the contrary, I learn from the media that there is an intention to hold a ceremony of the beacons in most splendor and to bring the best Israeli artists to it. There is no intention to cancel the Tanach quiz either. What is the difference between these ceremonies and the Israel Prize ceremonies? The difference is Eyal Waldman."

I claim that the decision to cancel the awarding of the awards this year was due to the fact that the minister knew that he could not disqualify only my classes and therefore canceled all the awards this year. It's a ridiculously ridiculous thing like no other. I claim that the minister did not act on his own accord but according to instructions from above, according to what I was told, the person who interfered with the decision to disqualify my candidacy is one Mr. Shlomi Fogel, a well-known businessman close to the Prime Minister and his wife and after learning of the intention of the candidacy. After the committee's decision on my candidacy, Fogel exerted heavy pressure on one of the committee members to recommend another candidate from the right sector and to go back on the intention of recommending me, only after the committee withstood the almost impossible pressures placed on it and stuck to the decision to recommend me. It was not left to the Minister of Education. In consultation with other parties, there is no choice but to cancel all awards. As mentioned, because it was not in his power to disqualify only me."

"I am before you as a concerned citizen, if this is how the state's institutions are conducted, there is great doubt as to how they behave, are they conducted in matters critical to its existence or the peace of its citizens? The question is whether, also on the subject of the abductees on the subject of the fighting and on the subject of the day after, the captains of the state are guided by foreign and personal considerations. I expect the honorable Knesset committee not to let go of the issue? I expect the members of the committee to contact the legal adviser to the government in order to order the opening of an investigation regarding the decision to cancel the Israel Awards and what preceded it. and to investigate who were all the factors that interfered with the matter and caused the Minister of Education to make his wrong decision. It is appropriate that this investigation reach the prime minister, and the person closest to him. If the legal advisor decides that there is a place to investigate the case, I will make myself available to her. The matter is very important to me because this is my homeland, for which I fought in all directions."

"I am speaking on behalf of Beit Daniel and her partner Noam (who were murdered at the Nova party on October 7, 71) who I had as the son of my uncle Giora Yeshinski, who was killed in 71 in a helicopter returning from an electronic warfare activity in Egypt on behalf of close friends. Good for our sons and daughters and martyrs of the Israeli systems who were killed in various operations and activities and for the kidnapped who are still being held and going through hell every second in Gaza, some of whom are connected to me in different ways and on their release they should concentrate and not on the Israel Prize. I hope that the committee will continue to investigate the issue together and with the help of the legal adviser to the government to understand the process and that it should not be conducted during the disqualification of the Israel Awards. And what is Mr. Vogel's role? was in the process and on whose behalf he acted. Did he act on behalf of his family? I want to congratulate and also apologize. Thanks. In front of all the recipients of the Israel Prize, who were chosen as the Minister of Education and Mr. Vogel and Shuleham canceled the award they so deserve. This year the award is very respectable, which has been awarded for XNUMX years and has never been cancelled, war kicks have also been cancelled. Thanks.

On behalf of Shlomi Fogel, one of the owners of the Ampa Group, Israel Shipping Industries and the Gold Bond Group, a response was given: Eyal Waldman is one of Israel's high-tech leaders and he definitely deserves to receive the Israel Award. Vogel has nothing to do with the decision to cancel the award.

Later we will publish the proposal of the President of the National Academy of Sciences, Prof. David Harel, to transfer the field of Israel Awards jointly to the President of the State and the Academy of Sciences.