Excellence is a way of life

President’s Award for Israel’s 70th year
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On Thursday morning, a reception was held for officers and outstanding soldiers for the year 2018 at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.

The ceremony was attended by President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, members of the General Staff forum, outstanding officers and soldiers and their families. During the ceremony, the President awarded certificates of excellence to 120 outstanding officers and soldiers from all IDF units, including 21 lone soldiers, which included the award of the President’s Award to 120 soldiers and soldiers who were prominent in their activity in the various units during the past year.

The ceremony was attended by President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, who took part in a joint interview in which they shared their feelings about the 70th anniversary of Israel and discussed the future of the State from their point of view. They participated in public singing and took an active part in it.

The IDF Spokesperson stated that “the outstanding soldiers were chosen on various committees and were awarded the President’s Excellence Award, in light of their work, which exemplifies the entire IDF, their striving for excellence and demonstrating dedication, professionalism and responsibility.” At the time of receiving the letter, the soldiers received a $1,000 scholarship from the Friends of the Soldier Foundation in Britain.

Of the total 120 presidential candidates, 75 are men, 45 are women, 21 are lone soldiers, 32 soldiers were born outside of Israel, five are soldiers who volunteered for military service, 19 are officers, 71 are combatants, 26 are combat supporters and 23 are other officials .

Earlier, the traditional Independence ceremony was held at the President’s Residence, with the participation of military bands, singer Dudu Aharon and the moderators Aviv Alush and Rotem Abuhav.

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“On my Independence Day, my generation saw the most exciting day of their lives,” Rivlin said. “As a member of Jerusalem, one of the days preceding it was November 29, the same night that all the people of Jerusalem were thrilled by the UN resolution on the right and the realization of the right to establish the state.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the great moments of the country that moved him, and said: “Two moments of tremendous pride – the tremendous victory in the Six Day War and of course the rescue in Entebbe, which for me was of course mixed with great pain.” I am proud of two other events that did not go so well Well: the Yom Kippur War, when the army was revealed in all its greatness despite the difficulties, and brought victory. The second thing, of course, is the War of Independence. This is an army that is unparalleled.”

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21 of the outstanding soldiers are lone soldiers and five of them are volunteers. Thirty-two of the recipients of the awards are not native Israelis but immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia, Russia, Ukraine, France, Colombia, Moldova, Brazil, the United States, Belgium, Argentina, South Africa, Britain, Mexico and even Lebanon.

Look at the traditional picture of the president’s excellency and follow the names of the outstanding students: goo.gl/GEDLtp

Right block
First sergeant, from left to right: First Sergeant Oded Naftali, Sergeant S, Sergeant Lior Nawi, Lieutenant Yosef Arieli, Sergeant Orit Barla, Staff Sergeant Uriah Meir, Deputy Aviv Barty, Deputy Valery Yurchenko, Staff Sergeant Yehuda Seidner, Hamdan, Corporal S.

Second Sergeant Gabriel Hadad, First sergeant Sergeant Iv Ying, Staff Sergeant Sivan Neshri, Sergeant Neta Ivri, Tzuar Alon Tzfler, Sergeant Harel Sussman, Lieutenant Abba Habtamo, Staff Sergeant Michael Dobersko, Lt. Lior Yehuda, Sergeant Margalit Greenberg, Michal Yam, and Sergeant Shir Yemini.

Third sergeant, from right to left: First sergeant, First sergeant Sergeant Raphael Lahat, Sergeant Ohad Davidov, First sergeant Sagi Madnik, Sergeant Ariel Mardagan, Lieutenant Dana Ben Hamo, Sergeant Barak Towers, First Sergeant Anastasia Grossman, Private Miriam Nunes, Private Anna Wajrovsky, Corporal Noam Daniel, Corporal Ofra Erlich, Sergeant Bracha Gedmo, Liron Shalem, Sergeant Ateret Levi.

Fourth sergeant, from right to left: Lieutenant Y., Sergeant M., Sergeant B, Corporal B, Sergeant A, First Sergeant V, Sergeant C, Corporal H., Sergeant Noam Robo, Sergeant A, Sergeant S, First Sergeant Eli Kalderon, Corporal Avigail Roth, Sergeant Daniel Gutkin, Corporal Baruch Aleic, Staff Sergeant Tedessa Panta, Corporal Dvash Heller, Sergeant Sophia Osias, Corporal Valeria Ashkenazi.

Left block
First sergeant, from right to left: Corporal Roni Danieli, Staff Sergeant Ytayish Ayelu, Lieutenant Dolev Asraf, Sergeant Rachel Gordon, Corporal Inbal Levanon, Corporal Amy Entin, Sergeant Neta Fiderer, Staff Sergeant Daniel Levian, Sergeant Tal Harel Rotem Zohar, Deputy Dr. Shira Leibowitz.

Second Sergeant Uriah Hadad, Sergeant Uriah Hadad, Staff Sergeant Nadav Mashluf, First Sergeant Reda Chemed, Sergeant Azkiel Shmidov, Corporal Alexander Kriborukko, Lieutenant Elia Levy, Sergeant Hadas Weiss, Corporal Paula Wiesner, Sergeant Sophia Silberstein, Sergeant Yosef Levy, Sergeant Yael Shilderman, Sergeant Menachem Lerer, Staff Sergeant Shir Neiberg.

Third row, from left to right: Corporal Chen Naveh, First Sergeant G, Gideon Sameroy, Sergeant Michael Yurmenko, Second Lieutenant George, Sergeant Cabaret Kassa, Sergeant Michael Kislis, Sergeant Gilad Appelbaum, , First Sergeant Afik Baumgarten, First Sergeant Ofek Asidu, First Sergeant Malakmo Avraham, First Sergeant Ural Jerbi, Sergeant Amit Messas, Staff Sergeant Yehuda Barak, First Sergeant Netanel Shalev.

Fourth sergeant, from left to right: First Sergeant R, Corporal A., First Sergeant Yehoshua Shinderling, Sergeant Timur Goralnik, Sergeant Yuval Shechter, Staff Sergeant David Beinish, Staff Sergeant Y., Lieutenant Aviv Kuzmin, Ben-Katz, Sergeant Yosef Haim Benvenisti, Sergeant Shai Eisenstadt, Sergeant Nava Sneed, Lieutenant Yaron Weiss, First Sergeant Omer Kaiserman, Lieutenant Y., Sergeant Tal Nissim, Sergeant Azam Kaabia, Staff Sergeant Eitan Porat.

TO THE VIDEO

Credits: Reuven Ruvi Rivlin – ראובן רובי ריבלין Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו Avigdor Liberman – אביגדור ליברמן צה”ל – צבא ההגנה לישראל Ronen Manelis דובר צה”ל רונן מנליס רותם אבוהב Avraham Aviv Alush אברהם אביב אלוש-העמוד הרשמי
דודו אהרון – Dudu Aharon קרן יחד למען החייל