A spokesperson for Guinness World Records confirmed Wednesday that the company is not accepting record submissions from Israel, the West Bank or Gaza, citing the current “sensitive” situation amid the war with Hamas.

Confirming the policy after a report about the company refusing to consider a submission by an Israeli charity, the spokesperson told The Times of Israel that Guinness has had a policy not to accept new record submissions from the region since November 2023, the month after Hamas launched its war against Israel on October 7.

“We are aware of just how sensitive this is at the moment,” the spokesperson said. “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, with the exception of those done in cooperation with a UN humanitarian aid relief agency.”

A request for clarification as to why a record broken in cooperation with a UN humanitarian aid relief agency would be acceptable was not answered.

On Tuesday, Channel 12 reported that the “Matnat Chaim” charity, which helps people make voluntary kidney donations, had approached Guinness World Records to discuss an event it is planning to bring together 2,000 donors in one place in Jerusalem. The UK body replied that it was no longer accepting submissions from Israel or the Palestinian-ruled territories.

“The fact that Guinness refuses to include the Israeli achievement that astonished the entire medical world........

© The Times of Israel