The Olympic Committee of Israel paid tribute to one of the most influential figures in the country’s sporting history, as Gili Lustig was honored at a special and emotional evening in Tel Aviv marking more than four decades of service to Israeli sport.
Held at the Enav Center on Monday, the event celebrated 68-year-old Lustig’s remarkable journey, including 12 years as CEO of the Olympic Committee of Israel and over 40 years in a variety of roles that helped shape the nation’s elite sports landscape.
Generations of athletes, coaches, and administrators who had accompanied him along the way gathered to recognize a career defined by both professional excellence and deeply rooted values.
The evening highlighted Lustig’s role in leading Israeli Olympic sport to unprecedented achievements, while helping to cultivate a new generation of athletes and coaches and instilling international standards of excellence.
In a surprise prepared by the Olympic Committee, the centerpiece of the event was an emotional on-stage interview conducted by journalist Aviad Pohoriles, styled as a “local legend” retrospective that traced the key milestones of Lustig’s career.
He demonstrated all the qualities we would want to see in the ‘beautiful Israeli’
Throughout the conversation, figures from pivotal moments in his life rose from the audience to honor him, while singer Meital Trabelsi performed moving musical interludes. A special recorded message from former International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach was also screened.
Among those in attendance were leaders of Israeli sport, members of the Olympic Committee’s executive board, including chairwoman Yael Arad and incoming CEO Adi Bichman, as well as legendary athlete Esther Roth-Shahmorov and Knesset member Chili Tropper, who served as sports minister during the Tokyo Olympics.
Olympic medalists such as Artem Dolgopyat, Peter Paltchik, Linoy Ashram, Avishag Semberg, Yaakov Toumarkin, and Shahar Zubari were also present, underscoring the breadth of Lustig’s impact across generations.
Opening the evening, Arad spoke about the man she worked alongside for years, framing the tribute as both personal and professional.
“This evening is one of tribute, of gratitude, and of deep friendship with a person who, for decades, demonstrated all the qualities we would want to see in the ‘beautiful Israeli’ – integrity, modesty, love of the profession, the ability to make decisions under pressure, partnership and teamwork alongside an enormous commitment to the mission,” she said.
“Working alongside you, Gili, is to wake up every morning to meaningful work, knowing there is a true partner there in every situation, in every kind of weather, whose heart is always in the right place.
You have a rare combination of leadership, a huge heart, and the ability to operate within a complex system and solve equations with many unknowns together, with creativity and patience.
You also have a wonderful trait – you know how to be the lead pilot, the co-pilot, and the navigator, and in each role you devote yourself fully, without ego. We say thank you, but not goodbye, because we know you will continue to accompany us in the coming years with the immense knowledge you’ve gained for the benefit of Israeli sport.”
For Lustig, the evening served as both a culmination and a moment of reflection.
“It was an unforgettable evening for me, summarizing nearly 12 years as CEO of the Olympic Committee of Israel and more than 40 years in various roles in Israeli sport,” he said. “Thank you to Yael Arad and the Olympic Committee staff for the initiative, the organization, and the production of such a moving farewell event.
My heartfelt thanks to the hundreds of people who came to share this evening with me – it is deeply appreciated and truly warming. Thanks as well to those who couldn’t attend but sent touching messages. It has been a great privilege for me to be part of the Olympic family for so many years.”
The night ultimately stood as more than a farewell – it was a celebration of a leader whose imprint on Israeli sport will continue to resonate long after he steps away from his formal role, a figure whose legacy is woven into the very fabric of the Olympic movement in Israel.