Welcoming address: Oliver Rathkolb, historian and lawyer
Jury statement: Gertraud Borea d'Olmo, Secretary General of the Kreisky Forum
Prize winner: Maria Sterkl, journalist, correspondent of the Austrian daily newspaper Der Standard in Israel and OPT
Laudator: Tessa Szyszkowitz, FALTER columnist and author
Prize winner: Palestine-Israel Journal, Hillel Schenker and Ziad Abu Zayyad, co-editors
Laudator: Gertraud Auer Borea d'Olmo, Bruno Kreisky Forum
The "Ari Rath Prize for Critical Journalism" was established on the basis of a private initiative. In the spirit of the renowned former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, who passed away in January 2017, it honors journalists who have made outstanding contributions to critical reporting on flight, displacement and asylum that is committed to upholding human rights.
A jury of experts under the chairmanship of Gertraud Auer Borea d'Olmo, the Secretary General of the Bruno Kreisky Forum for International Dialogue and close confidant of Ari Rath, unanimously nominated Maria Sterkl and the Palestine-Israel Journal for the "Ari Rath Prize for Critical Journalism" 2023.
 
Maria Sterkl, born near Krems / Danube, studied commercial science in Vienna, Parma and Sønderborg. From 2002 she worked as a journalist, first at the Niederösterreichische Nachrichten NÖN, then Salzburger Nachrichten, finally at Der Standard in Vienna, first for business, then culture, chronicles and for a long time in political journalism.
Since 2020 correspondent in Jerusalem, also for Frankfurter Rundschau, Funke Mediengruppe and STANDARD. Freelance author, including for Die Zeit. Main topics: Israel and Palestine, the state of democracy and human rights, economic and social issues, culture and good, simple food.
The Palestine-Israel Journal is published by Middle East Publications, a non-profit organization founded in 1994 by two prominent Palestinian and Israeli journalists, Ziad AbuZayyad and Victor Cygielman (1926-2007). It was established at the same time as the first phases of the Oslo peace process in order to promote dialog between civil societies on both sides and to broaden the basis of support for the peace process. It was clear from the outset that in addition to the institutional efforts of Palestinians and Israelis, channels of communication needed to be opened for academics and other intellectuals, opinion leaders and policy makers, grassroots organizations and activists to express their views and participate in the public debate for a democratic and just solution to the conflict.
With friendly support from WIEN ENERGIE
Members of the jury:
Gertraud Borea d'Olmo, Bruno Kreisky Forum, legatee of Ari Rath
Alexandra Föderl-Schmid, deputy editor-in-chief of Süddeutsche Zeitung
Fritz Hausjell, Institute for Journalism and Communication Studies
Oliver Rathkolb, Institute for Contemporary History
Prize winners so far
2018
Alexandra Föderl-Schmid, former publisher and editor-in-chief of Der Standard, correspondent of Süddeutsche Zeitung in Israel since 2017
2019
Silvana Meixner, Heimat-Fremde-Heimat, ORF
Honorary award: Helmut Brandstätter, Kurier
2020
Irene Brickner, Der Standard
Honorary award: Anneliese Rohrer, columnist Die Presse
2021
Thomas Seifert, deputy editor-in-chief of the Wiener Zeitung
Honorary award: Gideon Levy, columnist and member of the editorial board of the daily newspaper Ha'aretz
2022
Simon Inou, journalist and media critic from Cameroon
Vanessa Spanbauer, freelance journalist and historian from Vienna
2023
Christa Zöchling, journalist and author
Noa Landau; journalist for Ha'aretz
Recorded at Kreisky Forum on May 13, 2024
Technical production: Milan Loewy