Former Mossad head, Meir Dagan Wins Chaim Herzog Award

Former Mossad head, Meir Dagan Wins Chaim Herzog Award

Jerusalem - The Chaim Herzog Prize for a special contribution to the State of Israel in foreign and security policy will be awarded this year to Meir Dagan, former director of the Mossad. The prize will be presented to him by the president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Prof. Menahem Ben-Sasson, and Chair of Yad Chaim Herzog, Ora Herzog, on April 13, 2011, in the presence of the President of the State of Israel, Shimon Peres.

In its decision, the prize jury said that Dagan had been selected for the prize for his "extensive activities to advance the country's security through various security institutions."

Born in 1945, Dagan took part in the Six Day War in 1967 during which he fought on the Golan Heights. In the Yom Kippur War of 1973, he fought on the southern front and during the Lebanon War in 1982 he commanded the Barak Armored Brigade. He was later appointed commander of the Liaison Unit to Lebanon, and later served as a special adviser to the IDF chief of staff, as head of the operations division, and as deputy chief of staff.

In 1995, Dagan retired from the army with the rank of general after 32 years of service during which he was decorated for his courage. After his retirement, he served as counter-terrorism advisor to Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Benjamin Netanyahu. In 2002, Dagan was appointed director of the Mossad by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, a position he held until 2010 after being re-appointed by Prime Ministers Olmert and Netanyahu.

The prize committee added that "Meir Dagan's career path includes fighting three of Israel's wars and a resume that is intertwined with the story of the State of Israel."

On his activities in the Mossad and his special roles, the committee noted that "Throughout his tenure, he won praise for his work and his skills. It is difficult to describe in detail how much his activity contributed to the State of Israel, but as director of the Mossad he pushed forward operations to eradicate terrorism as well as to delay the Iranian nuclear program."

The Chaim Herzog Prize is a joint undertaking of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Yad Chaim Herzog. The prize is awarded every two years around the anniversary of the death of the late Chaim Herzog, sixth president of the State of Israel. The prize is awarded to a person who has made a unique contribution to the State of Israel in fields connected with Chaim Herzog’s life interests: security, legislation, law and ethics, foreign relations, unity of the people and coexistence, mass communications and Israel-Diaspora relations.