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Last update - 21:47 16/04/2009
U.S. professor becomes first Jew to win 'Arab Nobel Prize'
By Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service
Tags: Ronald Levy, King Abdullah 
 

An American professor has become the first Jew to win the King Faisal International Prize in Medicine, popularly known as the "Arab Nobel Prize."

Stanford professor Ronald Levy, who heads the university's Oncology department, told Haaretz that as an American Jew married to an Israeli it never crossed his mind that he might win the Saudi-financed competition.

"I didn't think there was much chance, and I forgot about it," Levy said. "It's an Arab country, and I didn?t think they are likely to pick a Jew."
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After he was informed of his victory, Levy rushed to check the contest Web site, where he found his picture and biography already on the homepage.

The prize committee had posted Levy's biography exactly as he submitted it, with one glaring exception: the line showing his post-doctoral work at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot had been deleted.

The prize, which included $200,000, a medal, and a certificate in English and Arabic, also came with a dinner with Saudi King Abdullah.

Levy told Haaretz he was certain his wife and daughters would not be able to attend the ceremony, as their passports are full of visas from Israel and his wife and one of his daughters were born in Israel. To his surprise, when he went to the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles, the attendants stamped their passports, and no one asked any questions.

In spite of their fears before the trip, Levy said his family was treated to royal hospitality during their entire stay in Saudi Arabia. He said that even when people were aware of his religion and his family's background, he was treated no different than anyone else. Also, Levy said Saudis were fascinated with hearing what he and other visitors think of their country, and if their expectations were proved wrong or not.

Levy's victory is the first time in the award's 30 years that a Jew has won, which Levy says he took as a sign that Saudi Arabia is becoming more open.

Levy won the prize for his part in the development of a drug used in the treatment of many types of cancer that is being widely viewed as revolutionary.

For over 30 years, Levy has researched methods of using the body's immune system to fight cancer. His researched led to the development of the concept that a drug made from antibody could be used to fight cancer.

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      1.   Mr. Levy is a great sceintest who happend to be a jew 14:51  |  Khalid Al-Hindi 16/04/09
      2.   U.S. professor becomes first Jew to win `Arab Nobel Prize` 14:53  |  PSS 16/04/09
      3.   A positive sign. Science has no religion / nationality 14:54  |  Semsem 16/04/09
      4.   Very welcome signs of positive change in Saudi Arabia 15:06  |  Ivar 16/04/09
      5.   israeli must undestand the truth 15:11  |  hicham 16/04/09
      6.   What! No anti Israeli post here!! 16:00  |  chasaboy 16/04/09
      7.   To Chasaboy 16:20  |  Sam Soul 16/04/09
      8.   Arabs are not anti Jewish, Thery are anti occuapation 16:26  |  Sammy from Jordan 16/04/09
      9.   Chasa -- He is not an Israeli 16:29  |  idf_sergeant 16/04/09
      10.   WoW That Kick`s Ass, 16:31  |  Eli 16/04/09
      11.   #1 Why... 17:11  |  Joan 16/04/09
      12.   Would Israel do the same thing? 17:31  |  Will 16/04/09
      13.   #1 chasaboy The anti Israel brigade is quiet and lost for words. 18:02  |  Lou Medel 16/04/09
      14.   Will Israel has awarded the Israel prize to several arabs 18:09  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 16/04/09
      15.   Israel does more for any arab the arabs do for themselves 18:15  |  Alan 16/04/09
      16.   #3, Will, are you serious? 18:17  |  David 16/04/09
      17.   a Jew in the Kingdom??? 18:21  |  yuval 16/04/09
      18.   Israel would never honor a Muslim 18:21  |  Mouaz 16/04/09
      19.   Could this be a signal? 18:28  |  Yonatan 16/04/09
      20.   #4 Will - Israel has already done the same thing 18:34  |  Yonatan 16/04/09
      21.   #3 Yeah, there are plenty of Arabs who have won Israeli prizes. 18:47  |  Mike 16/04/09
      22.   #3: Israel has done the same thing 18:47  |  rehovot 16/04/09
      23.   It is actually the anti-Arab crown that`s at loss of words 18:48  |  Mahdi 16/04/09
      24.   I always said that Israel were the Saudis 18:50  |  Chazan 16/04/09
      25.   #1 - I am pleased and delighted! 18:56  |  redbourn 16/04/09
      26.   #3: Israel HAS done the same thing 18:57  |  rehovot 16/04/09
      27.   #2 Joan 19:02  |  Harold 16/04/09
      28.   #2 - what couldn`t you see happening in Israel? 19:02  |  redbourn 16/04/09
      29.   to #3 Of course Israel would do the same... 19:07  |  Haim 16/04/09
      30.   No surprises here 19:15  |  Boris 16/04/09
      31.   This is the essence of Saudi peace plan 19:20  |  Boris 16/04/09
      32.   For all humanity 19:24  |  Kamal 16/04/09
      33.   Will #3 19:37  |  Aussie Eli 16/04/09
      34.   Israel Wake Up! Times are a Changing... 19:56  |  Yemmi 16/04/09
      35.   Exactly kamal#15, the Right hates how this kind gensture 19:59  |  Mahdi 16/04/09
      36.   Where is the cadre of antiArab Israelis? 20:03  |  Ibrahim 16/04/09
      37.   Aussie Eli 20:04  |  Ibrahim 16/04/09
      38.   The most common prize Israel gives Arabs 20:06  |  Ibrahim 16/04/09
      39.   Cancer is not racist 20:34  |  Dr. Eire 16/04/09
      40.   #16 Yes, Woman Ambassador to the US 20:43  |  Sama Adnan 16/04/09
      41.   Our Israeli Vice Consul is Arab 20:48  |  RfaelMoshe 16/04/09
      42.   Boris #14 `This is the essence...` 20:49  |  Colin Wright 16/04/09
      43.   Bahrain`s U.S. Ambassador is a Jewish woman 20:54  |  BR 16/04/09
      44.   this event reminds me of Joseph-aprince in egypt and 400 yrs of J 21:15  |  Susanna/shoshana 16/04/09
      45.   #23C.wright-Arabs are in a confused state-they denied an Israeli 21:26  |  Susanna/shoshana 16/04/09
      46.   If the Arabs can accept Israel as the Jewish State instead of 21:29  |  Susanna/shoshana 16/04/09
      47.   I would have turned it down 22:11  |  Steve from Raleigh 16/04/09
      48.   hypocrisy from the saudis , that s all 22:16  |  Gisele 16/04/09
      49.   So? Saudi King was treated for impotency by Israeli urologists 23:09  |  Absolute Sweden 16/04/09
      50.   Will and Mouaz 23:13  |  Arnold 16/04/09
      51.   Israel=Jewish state, USA=CHRISTIAN STATE = Middle east Muslim st 23:18  |  US MAN 16/04/09
      52.   Ibrahim about Iraqi Christina Deputy PM 23:49  |  Alex 16/04/09
      53.   Minorities in Israel 23:55  |  Alex 16/04/09
      54.   kamal 23:57  |  Alex 16/04/09
      55.   susannah/Shoshona #26 `C.Wright` 00:10  |  Colin Wright 17/04/09
      56.   And donkeys fly in wingnut land again... 00:13  |  BBSNews 17/04/09
      57.   #23 RfaelMoshe `Our Israeli vice consul is Arab...` 00:15  |  Colin Wright 17/04/09
      58.   You would never be considered Steve from Raleigh... 00:22  |  BBSNews 17/04/09
      59.   US protfessor Jew win Arab Nobel Prize 02:32  |  HASSAN ALNAJAR 17/04/09
      60.   BBS thank you for all your great insights, you`re truly amazing 03:35  |  Mahdi 17/04/09
      61.   Jew wim `Arab Nobel Prize` 08:46  |  The Teacher/Instruct 17/04/09
      62.   #50, 52 Many Arabs in SF Bay Area; & will king shake Levy`s hand? 14:29  |  Noam D. Blume 17/04/09
      63.   Dream On 20:36  |  Diana 17/04/09
      64.   Get real 08:23  |  Mimi 19/04/09
      65.   israel would never honor a muslim 21:24  |  frank 19/04/09
      66.   To Ibrahim # 37, Khalid #1, Sami #7 15:40  |  Yonni from Athens 21/04/09
      67.   hicham - did you know ... 01:49  |  Rachel 20/05/09
      68.   To anti-Semitic Arabesc 02:09  |  Rachel 20/05/09
      69.   Thank YOU Khalid for kind words... 22:03  |  bengurion 04/06/09
      70.   Resonse to Mr. Khalid Al-Hindi 19:42  |  Anon 25/07/09
      71.   Let`s not overstate this. SA has long made exceptions. 22:53  |  Raymond in DC 07/02/10
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