On Thursday, January 30, 2014, Avner Shalev, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate, received the Presidential Medal of Distinction from President Shimon Peres in a ceremony held at the President's Residence. Shalev was awarded for his public service as Chairman of Yad Vashem over the past two decades. During the ceremony, President Peres said: "Thanks to your life's work, I feel Yad Vashem is not only a place of memory, but you have also made it a warning bell for the world. As has been said, "Every human being was created in the image of G-d, there are none above and none below."

"The decoration strengthens and encourages me and all my colleagues at Yad Vashem in our mission to ensure meaningful, relevant and enduring Holocaust remembrance for the Jewish people and for all of humanity, now and for future generations," said Shalev at the conclusion of the event.

U utorak, 20 siječnja  2014.  je direktor Yad Vashema Avner Shalev primio "Presidential Medal of Distinction"  od predsjednika Shimona Peresa. Shalev je dobio nagradu za svoj doprinos kao direktor Yad Vashema u toku prošle dvije dekade. Predsjednik Peres je rekao:  " Hvala vam za vaš životni rad, ja osjećam da Yad Vashem nije samo mjesto sjećanja, nego je također napravljen kao "zvono upozorenja" za svijet. Kao što je rečeno: svako je ljudsko biće stvoreno na sliku Boga, ništa nema ni više ni manje od toga".

Shalev je rekao: "Odlikovanje me jača i hrabrI, kao i ostale kolege u Yad VAshemu u našoj misiji da osiguramo dostojno ,  relevantno i trajno sjećanje na Holokaust,  za židovski narod i cijelo čovječanstvo, sada i za buduće generacije"