The Academy warmly congratulates its member, Prof. Billie Melman, recipient of the Israel Prize in General History for 2026. Prof. Melman is Professor Emerita at the Zvi Yavetz School of Historical Studies at Tel Aviv University, holder of the Henri Glasberg Chair in European Studies, and a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.

The prize committee, chaired by Prof. Daniela Dovik and including Prof. Dan Orbach and Prof. Iris Shagrir, awarded the prize for her groundbreaking contribution to the study of social, cultural, and intellectual history in the modern period. Prof. Melman pioneered research that recovers the voices of women and groups marginalized from historiography, and she is a pioneer in the study of gender history in Israel. Her research redefined the concept of historical culture and added layers such as the connections between national past and memory among marginalized groups.

Throughout a long career, she has trained generations of researchers and gained leading recognition and influence in Israel and around the world. The prize will be awarded on the evening of Israel's 78th Independence Day.