Three months ago, Haim Zadok was presented with the IDI Democracy Award at a festive ceremony attended by the Prime Minister, government ministers, and senior members of Israel’s judiciary.
Zadok, among Israel’s top attorneys and former Minister of Justice and Minister of Religions was one of the founders of the Israel Democracy Institute and served as the first honorary Chairman of the Board for eight years. On May 15, 2002, the Institute made him its Democracy Award laureate in a ceremony held in his honor at the Israel Museum.
The award was presented to him in recognition of his important contribution to the establishment of the constitutional framework of Israel’s democracy through the construction and formulation of governmental and administrative norms, his contribution to the strengthening of the rule of law in Israel, and his commitment to the basic values of society, the protection of human rights, freedom of the press, and proper public administration.
In honor of the occasion, the IDI published a book in its Democracy Library Series entitled The Zadok Book. This commemorative volume, consisting of his writings, a biography, and an extended interview, was presented to him at the Democracy Award dinner. It will now serve as a memorial to him, a faithful reflection of Zadok’s image as a public figure, a just man, and the brilliant and honest person that he was, who will be sorely lacking in Israel’s public life in general and among the Israel Democracy Institute’s well-wishers in particular.