The Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva received the largest single donation ever made to Israel’s healthcare system: $180 million from Anat and Dr. Shmuel Harlap.
The gift will fund the construction of a 15-story Heart and Brain Center, to be called the Tower of Hope, which the Harlaps said is meant to symbolize unity in Israeli society. The facility, set to open in early 2027, will double the hospital’s current capacity for heart and brain treatments and significantly expand intensive care services.
“There is no place more fitting than a central public hospital to symbolize the healing of divisions within Israeli society,” Anat and Dr. Shmuel Harlap said in a statement. “The Tower of Hope will serve all sectors of the Israeli public - secular, religious, ultra-Orthodox, Muslim, Christian, Druze, and Circassian. It will be a lighthouse of hope for all.”
Hospital officials hailed the donation as a transformative moment for Israeli medicine.
Dr. Eytan Wirtheim, CEO of Rabin Medical Center, said the contribution “will unite under one roof the best knowledge, technology, research, and innovation in cardiology and neurology, enabling us to deliver advanced, life-saving care to every citizen.”
Yochanan Locker, chairman of Clalit Health Services, which runs the hospital, called the Harlaps’ gift an “unprecedented donation” that positions Rabin alongside the world’s leading medical centers. Ornit Bar Tal, acting CEO of Clalit, added that the new tower will “strengthen the entire system and advance international collaboration and research.”
Tower of Hope to span 70,000 square meters
The Tower of Hope will span about 70,000 square meters and include 300 beds for inpatient and intensive care. It will house eight clinical departments in cardiology, neurosurgery, neurology, and cardiac surgery. Three floors will be dedicated to protected spaces for operating theaters, imaging units, catheterization labs, and ICUs.
The Heart Center will include expanded cardiac ICUs, advanced catheterization and electrophysiology suites, a national heart transplant unit, women’s health and sports cardiology clinics, and cutting-edge imaging systems supported by AI tools.
Prof. Ran Kornowski, director of the hospital’s Heart Center, said the new facility will “provide a comprehensive continuum of care - from early diagnosis to tailored treatment through rehabilitation.”
The Brain Center will double bed capacity in neurology and neurosurgery, open a new Stroke Command Center, create a neurology day-care unit, and launch a dedicated brain research institute. It will feature intraoperative MRI, advanced neuro-catheterization suites, and minimally invasive laser technologies for brain tumors and epilepsy.
Prof. Sagi Harnof, director of the Brain Center, said the project “represents an international standard of care, positioning RMC at the global forefront of brain medicine.”
The Harlaps, longtime supporters of Rabin Medical Center, said they hope the Tower of Hope will embody a sense of solidarity.
“If we are fortunate to bask in its light, that will be our reward,” the couple said.