Guinness World Records lifts ban on Israeli submissions, recognizes new Israeli record marking 2,000 kidney transplants

Guinness World Records reversed its ban on submissions of records from Israel and the Palestinian territories and will accept a new Israeli record for the largest number of kidney donors ever to gather in one picture.

Highlighting the Guinness World Records’ (GWR) reversed decision, President Isaac Herzog participated in a celebratory event marking the record-breaking number of kidney transplants thanks to voluntary kidney donations in Israel.

The president addressed around 2,000 kidney donors on Sunday at an event marking the occasion, organized by the nonprofit Gift of Life (Matnat Chaim).

“Here and now, nearly 2,000 voluntary kidney donors are gathered together in one place from every different walk of Israeli life. Thank you, Matnat Chaim – truly a gift of life,” Herzog said in his remarks.

The previous world record was held by the Transplant Village community in the U.S., which had gathered 410 organ donors for a picture in 2018. According to Matnat Chaim, Israel is leading the world in living kidney donations per capita. So far, the organization has facilitated the transplants of 2,030 living kidneys.

“This is absolutely a world record. A world record for humanity. A world record for solidarity,” he continued. “And a world record for the deep and full commitment to one another, the selflessness, the deep love of life and of people, that is so beautifully embodied in our nation."

Matnat Chaim’s record-breaking project began in 2019 when they sent their entry and registration fee of $800, but the plan was suspended due to the pandemic. After the pandemic, GWR ignored seven messages from Matnat Chaim, but eventually sent an email to the Israeli organization saying, “We are unable to collaborate with you on this event.”

The email stated, “We truly do believe in record-breaking for everyone, everywhere, but unfortunately, in the current climate, we are not generally processing record applications from the Palestinian Territories or Israel, or where either is given as the attempt location, except those done in cooperation with a UN humanitarian aid relief agency,” GWR explained in December.

Judy Singer of Matnat Chaim said at the time, “We were shocked and dismayed when Guinness declined to cooperate with us on our event, which is purely altruistic in nature and far from any political controversy,” she insisted.

Singer promised that her organization would not be deterred, saying, "with Guinness or without, our volunteer kidney donors are saving lives nearly every day. That is true proof of Israeli solidarity and social responsibility, and that is our greatest accomplishment.”

Referencing the controversial decision and its reversal, Herzog told the crowd of donors on Sunday, “I was happy to learn that the flawed decision to reject the submission to the Guinness Book of World Records, simply because it came from Israel, was reversed, and now it is officially a world record.”

2,000 heroes. One precious gift: life.
Thank you “Matnat Chaim” for this incredible achievement! pic.twitter.com/QkYZFtToQd

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) January 26, 2026

Often dubbed the “Startup Nation,” Israel has consistently outperformed far larger countries, breaking multiple records and expectations since its reestablishment in 1948. For example, in 2014, President Shimon Peres delivered the world’s largest online civics class, with 10,579 Jewish, Arab and Christian students from schools across the country. The number surpassed the target figure of 5,000 participants which was required for a new record to be set, and was verified by World Records adjudicator Marco Frigatti. 

Even during the ban, which ran from November 2023 to Jan. 15, 2026, several records were set. These included the fastest robot to solve a rotating puzzle clock – 0.443 seconds – by Erez Borenshtein of Haifa; the most backward somersault burpees in 30 seconds by Yuval Sasson of Kiryat Bialik; and the oldest woman to perform a headstand, achieved by Naomi Ronnen of Jerusalem at age 91.

GWR changed its official position on accepting entries from Israel following pressure from UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI). In an email, the association claimed that the GWR policy was discriminatory and could threaten the validity of Guinness’s registered trademarks, according to Algemeiner.

“We have continued to monitor the situation in the region carefully, reviewing the policy monthly,” GWR responded two weeks ago. “The recent ceasefire and the return to a more stable environment have been key factors in these reviews. With these factors in mind … we recommenced our routine acceptance of applications for world records from Israel and the Palestinian Territories, including the application made by the Matnat Chaim charity.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who expressed his anger about the ban in December, welcomed the reversal: “Two thousand Israeli kidney donors are making the largest donation ever, in a selfless act of solidarity and humanity,” he said in a post on 𝕏 yesterday.

“Good to see it finally receive the celebration it deserves by the Guinness World Records, which revoked their original distorted decision to deny Israeli kidney donors their rightful recognition.”