Summary
Guinness World Records is not accepting record submissions from Israel, the West Bank, or Gaza due to the sensitive political situation. An Israeli charity, Matnat Chaim, wanted to set a record for gathering kidney donors in Jerusalem but was told their application would not be processed. This decision has led to criticism from Israeli officials and notable figures.
Key Facts
- Guinness World Records is not processing record applications from Israel, the West Bank, or Gaza because of the political situation.
- Matnat Chaim, an Israeli charity, planned an event for 2,000 kidney donors, aiming to set a new world record.
- Guinness communicated that it is only accepting submissions from these regions if coordinated with a United Nations agency.
- The policy has been in place since November 2023, following recent conflicts.
- Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has strongly criticized this decision.
- Billionaire Bill Ackman publicly questioned Guinness's exclusion of certain countries from record submissions.
- The charity's previous record attempt was delayed due to COVID-19 lockdowns.
