Shimon Peres Congressional Gold Medal Presentation
Thursday, June 26, 2014
WASHINGTON (JTA) - Congressional leadership and Vice President Joe Biden conferred the Congressional Gold Medal upon Israeli President Shimon Peres on June 26 at the U.S. Capitol.
Peres, 90, whose term ends in July, is one of a handful of people to be awarded both the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Honor. Those sponsoring the legislation to make the award were Sens. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., and Reps. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., and Joe Kennedy III, D-Mass.
Lobbying for the Gold Medal was the Friedlander Group, a New York-based PR outfit. The bid was backed by pro-Israel philanthropists, including Robert Rechnitz of New Jersey and Lee Samson of Los Angeles.
Later in the day, Peres also accepted the Lantos Human Rights Prize, administered by the family of the late Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress. - JTA
Peres, 90, whose term ends in July, is one of a handful of people to be awarded both the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Honor. Those sponsoring the legislation to make the award were Sens. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., and Reps. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., and Joe Kennedy III, D-Mass.
Lobbying for the Gold Medal was the Friedlander Group, a New York-based PR outfit. The bid was backed by pro-Israel philanthropists, including Robert Rechnitz of New Jersey and Lee Samson of Los Angeles.
Later in the day, Peres also accepted the Lantos Human Rights Prize, administered by the family of the late Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress. - JTA
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In recognition of Israeli President Shimon Peres’ work and leadership, Members of the US Congress introduced legislation to award the President Peres the Congressional Gold Medal.
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