The Ministry of Education in Israel awards the prestigious Israel Prize.
Because ... oh, who knows, the Israeli government goes through endless re-shuffles, and somehow Benjamin Netanyahu -- despite what one would have thought is a pretty full plate, as Prime Minister, and running for reëlection, and getting ready to address the US Congress -- currently also plays at being Minister of Education, which means he oversees this prize.
And he seems to be taking an active role: as Or Kashti now reports in Haaretz, Netanyahu rejects judges' candidacy for Israel Prize for Literature panel -- professors Avner Holtzman and Ariel Hirschfeld having been turned away by the PM.
The reason ? "The Education Ministry was unable to explain the reason for the decision."
Among the fall-out: "the third committee member, author Gail Hareven, resigned". Good for her (the author of The Confessions of Noa Weber and Lies, First Person.)
Maybe someone should remind Netanyahu that the last prime minister to meddle in a national literary award was Australian PM Tony Abbott, overruling his literary panel to give award to Man Booker winner Richard Flanagan. Look at how things have gone for him since then ..... (Though he has now -- or at least for now -- survived that leadership challenge).
The reason ? "The Education Ministry was unable to explain the reason for the decision."
Among the fall-out: "the third committee member, author Gail Hareven, resigned". Good for her (the author of The Confessions of Noa Weber and Lies, First Person.)
Maybe someone should remind Netanyahu that the last prime minister to meddle in a national literary award was Australian PM Tony Abbott, overruling his literary panel to give award to Man Booker winner Richard Flanagan. Look at how things have gone for him since then ..... (Though he has now -- or at least for now -- survived that leadership challenge).