“Ambassador Lauder is one of the few Jewish leaders who speaks out, who states their mind, who cares, who has actions everywhere, and I’m deeply honored to present him with this award today.”
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFUpdated: SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 03:33Chemi Peres presents Ronald Lauder with the Peace and Innovation Award.(photo credit: courtesy)
World Jewish Congress president, Ambassador Ronald Lauder was honored last week at an intimate celebration hosted by the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, becoming the sixth recipient of its prestigious Peace and Innovation Award, designed by the late Shimon Peres himself. The event was co-hosted by the UN Women for Peace Association (UNWFPA), an international women’s empowerment group.Chemi Peres, the late president's son, a respected venture capitalist and chairman of the board of the Peres Center, presented the award. He reflected on his father's legacy, and his close friendship with Lauder.“Ambassador Lauder is one of the few Jewish leaders who speaks out, who states their mind, who cares, who has actions everywhere, and I’m deeply honored to present him with this award today,” Peres said.Lauder shared memories of his friendship with the late President Peres, including the time he took his two grandsons to meet Peres in Israel, and traveling with Peres to a nanotechnology conference at the University of Pennsylvania and being floored by his mastery of the issue. He also spoke about continuing Peres’s work on the two-state solution.“It’s my basic belief that the future of Israel is through peace with our Arab neighbors,” Lauder said. “And until that time comes, my fear, very much, is that we’ll miss an opportunity.”
