Renowned Indologist Professor David Shulman who was conferred with the prestigious Israel Prize for his research on India will donate the prize money of nearly USD 20,000 to a left-wing group that assists poor Palestinian residents of the south Hebron hills.
In a video posted online, the Hebrew University academic talked about hisdecision to donate the prize money to left-wing group Ta'ayush and his hesitation over whether to accept the prize at all in view of a raging controversy sparked by his left-wing activism.
Shulman, who is himself an active member of Ta'ayush and has been working with it to help improve the living conditions of Palestinians in the south Hebron hills for almost fifteen years, is to receive the NIS 75,000 (USD 20,000 approximately) prize today on Israel's Independence day.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett had made the announcement to confer Israel Prize on 67-year-old Shulman in February in the field of religious studies and philosophy.
The announcement had led to a bitter debate in the right-wing leaning media here which disapproved of the award for Shulman by a right-wing dominated government "to a researcher known for sympathy for Palestinians".
The prize committee in its recommendation had said that Shulman was "a brilliant researcher who had done breakthrough studies on the religion, literature, and culture of southern India".
"He is an internationally renowned expert in this field, and his work is enhanced by his command of a wide range of languages, including Sanskrit, Tamil, Telegu and Malayalam", it added.
Pushed by several media outlets for a comment on the decision, Minister Bennett had then justified the decision saying a researcher cannot be disqualified for the prestigious award because of his political opinion.
The prize committee in its recommendation had written that Shulman's studies "excel in their diversity, dealing with literary genres and various research topics including religion, mythology, art, folklore and imagination".
"In Israel he founded the field of India studies, and most India researchers in Israel are his students. Shulman has made an important contribution to research management and teaching in Israeli universities," it added.
US-born Shulman had won the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship in 1987, making him the first Israeli to be conferred with the honour.
He is a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Sciences and a winner of the Emet Prize, awarded annually by the Prime Minister's Office for excellence in academic and professional achievements.
