Guinness World Records no longer processes applications from Israel and Palestine

No more performances in Israel or Palestine in the record books? The Guinness World Records, an institution based in London which publishes each year the bible of world exploits, announces to Le Parisien that it will “no longer process applications from the Palestinian Territories or Israel”, confirming information published by Channel 12.

According to the Israeli media, the NGO Matnat Chaim, which “aims to encourage people likely to be compatible to donate a kidney to save a life”, we can read on its website, contacted Guinness World Records with a view to a future event in Jerusalem: the gathering of 2000 kidney donors in the same place.

The association, which hoped to have a photo of this event in the next edition of the book of records, received a negative response from the British institution, which informed it that it no longer accepted requests for approval of records from Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

“Israel is at the forefront of this wonderful global revolution in kidney donation. The fact that Guinness refuses to include this Israeli success (…) is unacceptable,” lamented the president of the association to Channel 12.

“We sincerely believe that everyone, everywhere can break records”

Speaking to Le Parisien, a spokesperson for Guinness World Records confirms that the organization, “unfortunately, in the current climate, no longer processes applications for records coming from the Palestinian Territories or Israel” or to be made on site. “With the exception of those carried out in cooperation with a United Nations humanitarian aid agency,” it specifies.

“We recognize how sensitive this issue is at this time. We sincerely believe that everyone, everywhere, can break records,” writes the organization in a written response to Le Parisien.

“This policy has been in effect since November 2023,” said this source. “However, we are monitoring the situation closely and this policy is subject to monthly review. We hope to be able to receive new requests (for record approval) soon. »

This announcement comes as Israel is increasingly isolated on the international scene. If the war in Gaza ended with a fragile ceasefire signed at the beginning of October, the Jewish state is under pressure from boycotts from Europe. At the end of November, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom “strongly” condemned Thursday the “massive increase” in settler violence against Palestinian civilians and called on Israel to protect the population of the West Bank.