New York, NY, February 14, 2012 … Henrique Cymerman, a veteran Middle East correspondent and television interviewer, whose objectivity and journalistic skill enable him to report the news in a way that presents a positive image of Israel and Jews to audiences around the world, was honored today with the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) prestigious ADL Daniel Pearl Award.
"As we mark the 10th Anniversary of the tragic killing of Daniel Pearl, it is appropriate that we honor and celebrate the work of Henrique Cymerman, a journalist who like Danny never compromises on the search for truth through responsible journalism," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "Henrique is passionate in the pursuit of the truth and defending freedom, and objective and clear in his reporting on the complexities of the Middle East."
The award is named after slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was abducted and killed in Pakistan in Feb. 1, 2002 while pursuing a story about international terrorism. Mr. Cymerman accepted the award at the League's National Executive Committee Meeting in Palm Beach, Florida. "It is the first time I am so deeply moved by receiving an award," Mr. Cymerman said in his acceptance remarks. "This award makes me proud as a professional and a human being committed, like the Anti-Defamation League, to fight racism, all forms of intolerance and discrimination, anti-Semitism, and terrorism, and to ensure justice and peace for all."
Mr. Cymerman's incisive reporting on some of the most dramatic events in the Middle East and compelling interviews with newsmakers have appeared on media outlets worldwide including Univision in the United States, Antena 3 and La Vanguardia in Spain, Channel SIC in Portugal, Channel 2 in Israel, and Chinese TV. His interview subjects have included former Israeli Prime Minister Yizhak Rabin, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Omar Bin Laden, the estranged son of the former Al Qaeda leader.
Born and raised in Portugal, Mr. Cymerman immigrated to Israel by himself when he was 16 years old. He graduated from the University of Tel Aviv with a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology and an M.A. in Organizational Psychology.
Mr. Cymerman has received numerous awards for his reporting and writing, including the Conde de Godo Prize (the Spanish Pulitzer Prize), the Spanish Association of Radio and Television's Correspondent of the Year award, a nomination for Comendador of the Order Don Henrique (Portugal's highest honor), the Silver Medal from the Pro-Europe Organization, and a "Journalist Without Borders" designation by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He is author of Voices from the Centre of the World: The Arab-Israeli Conflict told by its Protagonists published in 7 languages and was recently authorized by Israeli President Shimon Peres to write his biography. Mr. Cymerman lives and works with his wife Yael in Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv.
ADL, through the generosity of George and Ruth Moss of Los Angeles, established the ADL Daniel Pearl Award in 2003 to memorialize Daniel Pearl. The award is given to a person who has made a positive impact on the image of Jews and Judaism in journalism, interfaith affairs, human relations, politics, diplomacy, culture or other arenas.
Previous recipients of the ADL Daniel Pearl Award are: Spanish journalist and former Parliament Member Pilar Rahola; Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis; Robert Satloff, executive director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy; Jeffrey Goldberg, national correspondent for The Atlantic; and Thomas L. Friedman, columnist for The New York Times.