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The selection coincides with Bar-Ilan’s 70th anniversary, placing Witkoff among a small group of world leaders previously recognized by the university.
By Shula Rosen
Bar-Ilan University announced on Tuesday that it will award US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steven Witkoff an honorary doctorate in recognition of his involvement in securing the Gaza ceasefire and advancing the release of Israeli hostages.
The decision was revealed by university President Prof. Arie Zaban during The Jerusalem Post Miami Summit, where he described Witkoff as a central figure in the diplomatic effort that ended the war and opened new channels for regional cooperation.
Zaban said Witkoff’s leadership during the crisis justified the university’s highest honor. He credited the envoy with helping to shift international engagement, adding that Witkoff’s “moral leadership helped bring an end to Israel’s longest and bitterest war, the return of the hostages, opening the door to normalization and regional peace.”
He also praised Witkoff’s manner of working with grieving families, saying the envoy’s ability to meet loss “with true empathy” gave him access to communities where others had failed.
According to Zaban, “The ripples of Mr. Witkoff’s influence mobilized the international community for the values of freedom, justice, and security in our region.”
The selection coincides with Bar-Ilan’s 70th anniversary, placing Witkoff among a small group of world leaders previously recognized by the university.
Honorees over past decades have included Elie Wiesel, President George H.W. Bush, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Israeli leaders such as Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, and Ariel Sharon.
Witkoff has remained active in diplomatic efforts since the end of the war, including on issues involving Iran.
Over the weekend, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with the envoy about the wave of anti-regime demonstrations inside Iran, according to two sources cited by Axios. The report said Araghchi initiated the contact.
The conversation followed President Donald Trump’s announcement that Iran had approached Washington seeking renewed nuclear talks.
Trump has repeatedly warned that the United States might act to stop the escalating crackdown on protesters, and he has not ruled out military force. In response, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, told Iranian media that any strike would prompt retaliation against Israel and American assets in the region, which he described as “legitimate targets.”
British reports said Sunday that US defense officials advised Trump that the military required additional time to prepare for possible operations.
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