A new study has documented the extraordinary volunteer effort among Israelis during the war against the Palestinian Hamas terror group, showing that nearly two-thirds of Israelis are donating to charities and over 40% are volunteering their time.
The volunteer effort is in addition to the mass mobilization of reservists, amounting to some 360,000 soldiers — a response reportedly in excess of what the military needed.
The study, from Tel Aviv University and the University of the Negev, found:
Focusing on the third week of the war, the report’s findings reflect a picture of extraordinary solidarity – with rates of volunteering and donations that are much higher than figures recorded previously, both in quiet times and during crises.
For example, the average weekly monetary donation per person is 458 NIS [about $115 USD] – almost double the sum documented in similar reports in the past. Nearly two thirds of the public (62%) donated to various initiatives, (organizations, communities, campaigns, or individuals in need), giving either money or gifts in kind, including breastmilk and blood donations. This percentage (62%) is much higher than figures reported in the past – 42% in the COVID year 2020, and 47% in 2019, an ordinary year.
…
With regard to volunteering, the report indicates that 41% of the respondents had volunteered in one way or another (including social and community initiatives) – compared to 31% in 2019 and 22% in 2020.
Last month, Breitbart News documented the ongoing volunteer efforts in Israel, including efforts to deliver nearly 1,000 meals daily to residents of southern towns near Gaza who could not be evacuated easily due to age or disability.
Israeli society has historically shown high rates of social cohesion and happiness, despite political divisions and the near-constant threat of war and terror.
The October 7 terror attack, in which Hamas murdered over 1,200 people, wounded over 5,400 others, and took 241 hostages, has united and mobilized Israelis as never before, with many setting aside politics-as-usual and simply doing what they can to help.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect a revised number on the death toll from the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel. The Israeli government estimate of 1,400 was revised to around 1,200, according to Reuters.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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