IBA’s Ya’akov Ahimeir named Israel Prize Laureate

Veteran Israel Broadcasting Authority journalist Ya’akov Ahimeir named the Israel Prize Laureate in communications.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
YA’AKOV AHIMEIR 390 (photo credit: Courtesy: IBA)
YA’AKOV AHIMEIR 390
(photo credit: Courtesy: IBA)
Veteran Israel Broadcasting Authority journalist Ya’akov Ahimeir has been named the Israel Prize Laureate in the field of communications.
He was notified of the honor on Sunday by Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who happens to be one of the many public figures who have been interviewed by Ahimeir over the years.
Ahimeir has been the recipient of numerous prizes and awards, among them the prestigious Sokolov prize, Israel’s highest award for journalism.
In congratulating Ahimeir, IBA Director- General Yoni Ben Menachem said that Ahimeir’s work as a journalist had brought a great deal of honor and respect to the IBA. His journalistic integrity, his achievements – and above all – his maintenance of a code of ethics and respect for human dignity throughout his many years in the profession, made him worthy of the Israel Prize, said Ben Menachem.
The awards committee headed by Prof. Eitan Gilboa, noted that Ahimeir had served the interests of public broadcasting for five decades, that he had been among the founders of Israel Television (now known as Channel One) and that he represented the best in classic journalism.
Broadcasting both on radio and television and contributing to the print media, Ahimeir in a long career, has been a reporter, editor, presenter, foreign correspondent, commentator and raconteur.
He had also made several documentaries.
The committee commended Ahimeir (who is the son of Abba Ahimeir, Revisionist activist, historian and journalist, who was considered in some quarters to be a political extremist), for keeping his professional work as a journalist separate from his political views.
Ahimeir,73, though long past retirement age, continues to regularly present an early morning current affairs program on Israel Radio as well as a weekly world news program on Channel One.
Although he is very polite to his interviewees, many of them find his authoritarian voice intimidating.
Previous IBA recipients of the Israel Prize include Haim Yavin and Yosef Barel.
In the latter case it was actually Arabic Television that was given the award, but Barel, who was head of Israel Television at the time, accepted it.
Ram Loevy, who spent several years with the IBA, was also a recipient of the Israel Prize.