Fox-Wizel CEO Harel Wiesel to Receive Prestigious US-Israel Leadership Award
Fox-Wizel CEO Harel Wiesel will receive the Kenneth J. Bialkin Leadership Award in New York. The honor recognizes his trailblazing role in strengthening economic ties between Israel and the USA through major retail partnerships.
Harel Wiesel, CEO and controlling shareholder of the Fox-Wizel Group, will receive the prestigious Kenneth J. Bialkin Leadership Award at the annual Partners for Democracy Awards Gala in 2026. The gala, organized by the America-Israel Friendship League (AIFL), is scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at the exclusive Lily club on 50th Street in Manhattan, New York. The event will gather approximately 150 business leaders, investors, philanthropists, and prominent figures from both nations.
Named after the late attorney Kenneth J. Bialkin, a former president of the league who dedicated his efforts to opening the US market to Israeli companies, the award recognizes trailblazing leaders who have made exceptional contributions to strengthening commercial and economic bridges between Israel and the USA. Alongside Wiesel, international business leaders George M. Logothetis and Robert H. Book will receive honors, while New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin will be awarded the Partners for Democracy prize.
Wiesel's international recognition marks a major milestone in one of the Israeli economy's most remarkable success stories. Born in Ramat Gan and losing his father at the age of 11, Wiesel began working early in life to support his family, selling surplus T-shirts from his car trunk and makeshift market stalls. His major breakthrough came in 1992 when he co-founded the FOX brand with his brothers and partner Avraham Fox. Over the years, Wiesel transformed the company into a retail empire, taking it public on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in 2002 and expanding into successful home goods and beauty brands.
The primary justification for Wiesel's award centers on his role as a powerful international franchisee who brought prominent US brands to Israel. The Fox-Wizel Group secured exclusive franchises to operate leading American fashion networks, including American Eagle, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Free People. A crown jewel of his international activity is the close partnership with American sportswear giant Nike, through which Fox operates mega-stores in Israel, Canada, and Europe, alongside Foot Locker and bringing Shake Shack to Israel.
By solidifying dominance across Israeli shopping malls and launching the online fashion platform Terminal X, Wiesel has cemented his status as Israel's undisputed retail king. He joins a distinguished roster of past honorees, including former US presidents, Henry Kissinger, Michael Bloomberg, and prominent Israeli business figures.
