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29 May, 2016

UK History Professor Catherine Hall Rejects US$1m Prize From Israel – Truthdig

Every week the Truthdig editorial staff selects a Truthdigger of the Week, a group or person worthy of recognition for speaking truth to power, breaking the story or blowing the whistle. It is not a lifetime achievement award. Rather, we’re looking for newsmakers whose actions in a given week are worth celebrating.

Catherine Hall, who has been professor of modern British social and cultural history at University College London (UCL) since 2009, made headlines this week for her refusal of the Dan David Prize, a prestigious Israeli academic award. Headlines ranged from “Historian snubs $1 million Israeli academic prize” to the more clearly politically charged “Feminist totally occupied by Palestine.”

While Hall had turned down the award in March—after being notified of her selection a month earlier—most of the media attention on her decision came after her absence from Sunday’s two-hour ceremony, at which several other Britons and Americans received awards.

Read the rest: Truthdigger of the Week: History Professor Catherine Hall for Rejecting Prize From Israel – Truthdig