Canadian-Israeli billionaire Sylvan Adams has donated $100 million to rebuild an Israeli hospital that suffered extensive damage following an Iranian missile strike in June.
Adams announced the donation to Soroka University Medical Center during an Israeli cabinet meeting on Sunday.
The hospital, which serves the Negev desert region in southern Israel, was hit by a missile on June 19, at the height of the 12-day war with Iran.
“Our response to Iran is to rebuild bigger and better. Right where the missiles fell, we will build a state-of-the-art hospital in Beersheba, the capital of the Negev, which will be one of the most advanced in the Middle East,” Adams said.
The donation is part of a broader NIS 1-billion (approximately C$300-million) initiative to improve the health-care system in southern Israel, including the construction of a new fortified tower at the hospital.
The costs will be split equally between Adams’ donation, the government, and Clalit Health Services, an Israeli health insurer.
Adams, who has supported numerous causes in Israel — including sports, medicine and education — is co-owner of the Israel Premier Tech cycling team, which announced last month it was changing its name and moving away from its national identity.
He made this decision after being excluded from a race in Italy over fears of pro-Palestinian protests and after the Spanish Vuelta was repeatedly disrupted by demonstrations against the team because of Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip.
At the time, the Quebec native said he would no longer play an “active role” within the team.
–This report by the Associated Press-La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews