Matnat Chaim had previously been told in December that submissions from Israel and the Palestinian territories were not being processed under a policy introduced in November 2023.
By Shula Rosen
More than 1,000 Israelis who donated a kidney gathered Monday night for a single photograph, as the nonprofit Matnat Chaim marked what it said is a new world record for the largest assembly of organ donors, The Jerusalem Post reports.
The event took place after Guinness World Records resumed accepting submissions from Israel on January 15, allowing the organization to proceed with its planned application.
Matnat Chaim had previously been told in December that submissions from Israel and the Palestinian territories were not being processed under a policy introduced in November 2023.
Judy Singer of Matnat Chaim described the evening as “unforgettable” and called it “a wonderful demonstration of solidarity and generosity in Israeli society.”
She told the Jerusalem Post that the group was proud that Israel leads the world in altruistic kidney donation and welcomed Guinness’s decision to reconsider its position and accept the record attempt.
President Isaac Herzog, who attended, called the gathering “absolutely a world record,” describing it as “a world record for humanity” and “for solidarity.” He added that he was pleased the earlier decision to reject the submission “simply because it came from Israel” had been reversed.
Correspondence shared Tuesday by UK Lawyers for Israel showed Guinness confirming that it had returned to routine processing of applications as of January 15.
In a letter, Guinness’s global head of legal, wrote that the pause had applied to both Israel and the Palestinian territories unless attempts were conducted with a UN humanitarian agency, and said the move followed the outbreak and escalation of violence in the region.
Guinness noted that during the pause, several records were still awarded to Israelis for attempts made in Israel, including achievements involving a rotating puzzle clock, backward somersault burpees, a headstand, a game of Simon, and a drag performance.
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