Shopping centre magnate Sir Frank Lowy and prominent lawyer Mark Leibler, AC, have been awarded Israel’s Presidential Medal of Honour, the first Australians to be granted the medal.
The award is Israel’s highest civilian honour and eight Jewish and non-Jewish leaders from around the world received the award this year recognising their “extraordinary contribution to the State of Israel or to humanity through their talents, their service, or in any other way”.
Lawyer Mark Leibler (left) and businessman Frank Lowy have been awarded Israel’s highest civillian honour.
Other recipients were from the US, France, UK and Germany. Former Israeli president Shimon Peres established the medal in 2012, which has been awarded to fewer than 50 individuals and the vast majority have been Israelis.
Past non-Israeli recipients include presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, German chancellor Angela Merkel, Nobel Prize laureate Elie Wiesel, director Steven Spielberg and businessman and philanthropist Michael Siegal.
Lowy, is a Czechoslovakian-born Holocaust survivor, who went on to fight in the Arab-Israeli War in 1948 before moving to Australia and founding the Westfield retail empire.
He was honoured for his philanthropy, his impact on the ties between Israel an Australia and promoting the well-being of Israeli society in the fields of health, education, and social welfare especially.
Leibler is a leading lawyer and Jewish community leader in Australia who has advocated extensively for human rights, Israel and the Jewish community in the country.
His citation said he had worked extensively for “human rights, Israel and the Jewish community” in Australia. It also called out his work combatting antisemitism, defending Israel’s reputation and fighting boycotts.
“Sitting around the dinner table on a Tuesday evening, you don’t expect to receive a call from the President of Israel,” Leibler said upon hearing he had received the medal.
“I am astonished and deeply moved to have received this extraordinary honour, which I’ll treasure for the rest of my life.”
The lawyer said Israel was central to his identity as a proud Jewish Australian and supporting the relationship between the two countries was a “passion and a privilege”.
The awards come as Israel steps up its bombing campaign in Gaza and expands its attacks on Hamas and Hezbollah to neighbouring countries.
About 1200 people were killed in the October 7 attacks that sparked Israel’s deadly military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. Health authorities in Gaza estimate more than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the past year tested the resilience of the nation and the Jewish people following Hamas attacks on October 7.
“It showcased the diverse and beautiful face of Israeli society and proved, as we have always known and believed, that all of Israel is responsible for one another, that the Jewish communities worldwide and the State of Israel share a common destiny.”
“Your work and dedication embody this great bond, and the Jewish people and the State of Israel will remain deeply grateful for all that you have done and continue to do,” he said.
Israel has faced sustained criticism over aspects of its conduct in the war. It recently drew international condemnation, including from Australia and humanitarian groups, over its move to block the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees operating in Israel and designating it a terror group.
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