Israeli journalist Gideon Levy receives 2026 PEC Award

The 2026 Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) Award has been presented to Israeli journalist Gideon Levy, a member of the editorial board of the daily newspaper Haaretz.

The Geneva-based media safety and rights organisation said it sought to recognise Levy’s independence and critical analysis during the dramatic period Israel has experienced since 7 October 2023.

The PEC Prize for the Protection of Journalists has been awarded annually since 2009 to an individual or organisation that has distinguished itself in the defence of press freedom in contexts of armed violence.

Levy has denounced Israeli policy towards Gaza and the West Bank, taking significant personal risks both for himself and for the editorial staff of Haaretz. His weekly column, Twilight Zone, on the activities of the Israeli military is an example of critical journalism in times of war. In Israel, he is regularly criticised by opponents who accuse him of supporting the Palestinians.

“By awarding him the PEC Prize, we want to show that it is possible, even in a country at war, to take a critical stance and defend fundamental principles of press freedom such as independence, impartiality, and transparency. Gideon Levy’s courageous struggle is exemplary in this regard,” said PEC chief Blaise Lempen at the award ceremony.

Independently documenting the conduct of military operations is essential for shedding light on violations of international humanitarian law and combating impunity.

In 2024, the PEC awarded its annual prize to Palestinian journalist Iyad Alasttal, a journalist from Gaza who sought refuge in France. Independent of Hamas, he continues to document the suffering of the Palestinian people.

“We felt it was all the more necessary to honour an Israeli journalist given that Israel is just a few weeks away from elections that will be decisive for its future,” Lempen said, adding that the PEC hopes Israelis and Palestinians will achieve peaceful coexistence by turning their backs on extremists on all sides.

Last year, the PEC award went to Kurdish journalist Perihan Kaya. Previous recipients have included Iyad Alasttal in 2024, Arnaud Ouédraogo in 2023, Ekaterina Glikman in 2022 and Nava Thakuria in 2021.

The PEC was founded in Geneva in 2004 during the Iraq War to strengthen the protection of journalists in conflict zones. Since then, journalists have frequently been targeted by warring parties in conflicts including those in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Sudan, as well as by drug-trafficking organisations in Mexico.

Source: Press Emblem Campaign

Nava J. Thakuria