Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday announced the recipients of the 2026 Presidential Medal of Honor. Among the 11 recipients is Rabbi Haim Sabato, a rabbi, author, and Dean of the Birkat Moshe Hesder Yeshiva in Ma'ale Adumim.
In a personal conversation with the president after being notified that he was selected to receive the award, Rabbi Sabato said, "It is a great privilege for me to work for the future generations, for values, and for love of one's fellow Jew. I thank you, honorable President, for the recognition and appreciation."
Rabbi Sabato was born in Cairo in 1952 to a rabbinical family and immigrated to Israel after his family was expelled from Egypt. He studied at the Netiv Meir Yeshiva High School and Yeshivat Hakotel. He served as a combat soldier in the IDF and participated in the battles to halt Syrian advances in the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur War. Rabbi Sabato would go on to be among the founders of the Birkat Moshe Hesder Yeshiva, which he leads to this day.
Along with his Torah study, Rabbi Sabato is known as an outstanding Israeli author. Some of his works have been translated into English, including Adjusting Sights, Aleppo Tales, The Dawning of the Day: A Jerusalem Tale, and From the Four Winds. He has won several literary awards for his books, including the Sapir Prize, the Prime Minister's Prize for Hebrew Authors, and the Yitzhak Sadeh Prize for Military Literature.
Alongside Rabbi Sabato, the Presidential Medal will also be awarded to Yona Elian-Keshet for her longstanding contribution to Israeli theater and cinema; Hossam Haick, a pioneer in nanotechnology and biomedical research; Mooli Lahad, a leading figure in resilience and trauma treatment; Hephzibah Lifshitz for her groundbreaking research on intellectual disabilities and expanding access to higher education; and Yossi Leshem, one of the world's leading researchers in bird migration and ecology.
The honor will also be presented to Abie Moses, Chairman of the National Organization of Terror Victims, for his decades of work on behalf of bereaved families and terror victims; Ziva Mekonen for her work promoting the Ethiopian-Israeli community; Moshe Nissim, who served for many years as a Knesset member and government minister; Yehuda Eder, musician and founder of the Rimon School of Music; and Uriel Reichman, jurist and founder of Reichman University.
Isaac Herzog said, “Every year I am inspired anew by the people whose work, dedication, and contributions strengthen Israeli society. The recipients of the Presidential Medal embody the values of giving, responsibility, and mutual solidarity upon which the State of Israel is founded."
