Former New York City Mayor and philanthropist Michael Bloomberg said on Monday that he would donate nearly $44 million to Magen David Adom after the Hamas attacks on October 7.
Bloomberg said in a statement to The New York Times he planned to match contributions he solicited through an email appeal for the American Friends of Magen David Adom. The total amounts to an $88 million gift, the largest in the American organization’s history.
“America has always been a friend to Israel and I am encouraged that so many of us are stepping up to help our ally during these challenging times,” Bloomberg said, adding, “It is important to show the world that we are united in our condemnation of Hamas and committed to protecting the health and safety of all Israelis.”
The new funds are expected to help buy ambulances, medical equipment and ballistic vests and helmets for emergency workers, said Catherine Reed, chief executive of American Friends of Magen David Adom.
Bloomberg has supported the organization for several decades, giving several million dollars to finance an emergency medical station and blood donation center in Jerusalem named for his late father, William H. Bloomberg. He also funded a health center at Hadassah University Medical Center dedicated to his mother, Charlotte R. Bloomberg.