Current mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, said he was surprised to discover he’d be the inaugural recipient of The Genesis Prize. “For some reason that nobody can figure out — at least I can’t — I will be honored to receive the first Genesis Prize,” he said.
The Genesis Prize seeks to “recognize individuals who have attained excellence and international renown in their chosen professional fields, and whose actions, in addition to their achievements, embody the character of the Jewish people through commitment to Jewish values, the Jewish community and/or to the State of Israel.”
The prize is funded through the Genesis Philanthropy Group in conjunction with Wayne Firestone, former President and CEO of Hillel International, and will award the mayor with a $1 million reward.
Now, Bloomberg has announced he will use the funds to “promote commerce between the people in Palestine and the people in Israel.”
While at a Hanukkah party Monday evening, Bloomberg spoke of his desire to strengthen Israeli-Palestinian economic relations, acting modest in receiving the award, and confirmed he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about his intentions.
“We have to find some way that everybody can get along in that space or it won’t end nicely for anybody,” he added.
While some have criticized for choosing Bloomberg as the recipient of this award, as he is reportedly the richest man in the city, it seems like it was pretty clear that he’d be donating the prize to serve a greater purpose.
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