Jan Koum Family Foundation is behind the donation; it is expected to triple the capacity of the Jerusalem hospital, which currently has about 1,000 beds; It is the largest donation in the history of Israel’s health care system.

WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum is donating $200 million, about 580 million shekels, to Shaare Zedek Medical Center, in a gift expected to triple the size of the Jerusalem hospital, which currently has about 1,000 beds. It is the largest donation in the history of Israel’s health care system.

The money will go toward building a new inpatient tower that will also include housing for staff. The donation comes from the Koum Family Foundation, which in recent years has become one of the leading sources of pro-Israel philanthropy worldwide. According to a health care system source, the zoning plan for the tower is advancing quickly through Jerusalem’s planning institutions.

The donation slightly surpasses one made last year by Anat and Shmuel Harlap to Clalit’s Beilinson Hospital, which totaled $180 million. The Harlaps, who had previously donated to Beilinson and Hasharon hospitals, gave the funds for the construction of the “Tower of Hope,” scheduled to open in early 2027. Its occupancy is expected to allow the hospital to double the activity of departments currently housed in the Gur Shasha hospitalization tower.