Buenos Aires, November 12, 2025 – In a ceremony rich in symbolism and with a large attendance of political, judicial, and cultural figures, the Argentine Association of Friends of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (AAAUBG) celebrated last night, in the Golden Hall of the Teatro Colón, the presentation of the Ben-Gurion Awards 2025.
The president of AAAUBG, Nava Rubenzadeh, led the ceremony and highlighted that the award seeks to "recognize excellence, commitment to the truth, and civic courage" in an international context marked by tensions, disinformation, and growing challenges for democratic institutions.
Literary figure and long-standing essayist Marcos Aguinis thanked the distinction and evoked the figure of David Ben-Gurion as a "symbol of courage, construction, and modernity," emphasizing that the values that inspired the creation of the State of Israel "dialogue with the best traditions of pluralistic Argentina."
The writer and physician Marcos Aguinis received the highest recognition of the event, while the businessman and journalist Daniel Hadad, the Attorney General of Buenos Aires Julio Conte-Grand, and journalists Pilar Rahola and Alfredo Leuco were distinguished for their careers and contributions to the defense of republican values, freedom of expression, and democratic culture.
The event, which brought together leaders, academics, and representatives of the diplomatic corps, was attended by former President Mauricio Macri and the Ambassador of Israel to Argentina, Eyal Sela, among other personalities.
"With this chapter, the Ben-Gurion Awards renewed their commitment to recognizing careers that, from different fields, seek to strengthen a plural, demanding, and institutionally respectful public dialogue, in line with the legacy of the leader who inspires the name of the award," the organizers stated.
The choice of the Golden Hall of the Teatro Colón as the venue for the event reinforced the institutional and cultural nature of the ceremony, which in recent years has consolidated the Argentine capital as a point of reference for these distinctions.
In this regard, the organizers emphasized the importance of strengthening academic, scientific, and cultural cooperation between Israel and Argentina, and promoting programs that bring students and professionals closer to the developments of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
The ceremony concluded with a group photo of the award winners and authorities, and an invitation to a future agenda of AAAUBG activities oriented towards research, innovation, and academic exchange.
The celebration, for the opportunity to distinguish figures who, from literature, law, and journalism, challenge society on the importance of the law, freedom, and civic responsibility.
