Financial Investigation Published May 2026

United Hatzalah

An Investigation into Financial Irregularities Across a Global Charity Network

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Floyd Mayweather receives a lion trophy at a United Hatzalah gala
Floyd Mayweather at a United Hatzalah gala, receiving a trophy award
Floyd Mayweather wearing a United Hatzalah volunteer vest in Jerusalem
Floyd Mayweather in a United Hatzalah volunteer vest, Jerusalem
Primary Source Videos

Eli Beer announces Floyd Mayweather’s “surprise” $1 million donation at the 2024 United Hatzalah Miami Gala (Dec 25, 2024)

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach calls Eli Beer “my close buddy” and announces United Hatzalah will honor his late father’s memory (May 29, 2024)

Sources: @EliBeerUH, Dec 25 2024@RabbiShmuley, May 29 2024

INVESTIGATION

Where Does the Money Go?

United Hatzalah's American fundraising arm reported disbursing $132.8 million to Israel in 2023. The Israeli charity reported receiving $77.8 million. The gap of more than $54 million has never been publicly reconciled. This investigation examines that discrepancy, a 2024 internal embezzlement arrest, a 2021 court judgment for defamation, unverified public claims made during fundraising, and the opaque structure of a global charity network spanning six countries.

Sources: IRS Form 990 filings • Israeli nonprofit registry • Tel Aviv District Court • Jerusalem Post • UK Charity Commission • The Mael Review
$54M+
Unreconciled gap between US disbursements and Israeli receipts (2023)
IRS Form 990 vs Israeli registry
₩329M
Unexplained 2024 surplus — 57% of total revenue, no disclosed destination
Israeli Guidestar, Amuta 580465979
$688,791
Eli Beer total US compensation (2024)
IRS Form 990, Part VII
$4,074,011
Paid to 6 contractors over 5 years — including former CEO and Advisory Board member
IRS Form 990, Schedule VII, FY2020–FY2024

What Is United Hatzalah?

United Hatzalah of Israel (Hebrew: איחוד הצלה) is a Jerusalem-based volunteer emergency medical services organization founded in 2006 by Eli Beer. The organization claims more than 8,600 trained volunteers across Israel and reports responding to approximately 14,400 emergency calls per week. Its signature vehicles, motorized "ambucycles" capable of navigating traffic, have become a recognizable symbol of its brand.

The organization is funded entirely through private charitable contributions. It does not charge patients for services. Its stated mission is to reduce emergency response times by deploying trained volunteers who live and work near potential incident sites, reaching patients before traditional ambulances arrive.

Since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, United Hatzalah's fundraising has grown substantially. Its American arm, Friends of United Hatzalah Inc., reported total revenue of $144.9 million in 2023, up from $48.6 million in 2022. That surge in donations has intensified scrutiny of how funds are reported, transferred, and accounted for across the organization's global network.

$144.9M
US entity revenue in 2023 (IRS Form 990)
8,600+
Claimed volunteers in Israel
399
Paid employees reported in Israeli nonprofit registry (2023)
6
Countries with registered "Friends of" charity entities

The International Charity Network

Entity Country Registration Number Public Filings
Friends of United Hatzalah Inc. United States EIN 11-3533002 IRS Form 990 (public)
British Friends of United Hatzalah Israel United Kingdom Charity No. 1101329 UK Charity Commission (public)
United Hatzalah Canada Canada CRA No. 838255180RR0001 CRA T3010 (public)
United Hatzalah France France Not publicly listed Not confirmed publicly available
United Hatzalah Switzerland Switzerland CHE-278.177.157 Not publicly available below threshold
Australian Friends of United Hatzalah Australia Not publicly listed Not confirmed publicly available
United Hatzalah of Israel (amutah) Israel ע"ר 580465979 Israeli nonprofit registry (public)

Note: "United Hatzalah International" appears on the LinkedIn profile of CEO Michael Littenberg-Brown but is not listed as a formal legal entity on the organization's official website. Its registration status and filing obligations are unknown.

The $54 Million Gap

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The most consequential financial question surrounding United Hatzalah concerns the difference between what its American charity reported sending to Israel and what the Israeli organization reported receiving.

On its 2023 IRS Form 990, Friends of United Hatzalah Inc. reported $132,788,535 in grantmaking abroad on its Schedule F, with all disbursements directed to the Middle East and North Africa region, understood to mean Israel. The grants were itemized as four separate disbursements under the category of medical or charitable support. This figure has been verified against the public disclosure copy of the 2023 Form 990 published at israelrescue.org.

The Israeli amutah, United Hatzalah of Israel (registration number ע"ר 580465979), reported just $77.8 million in revenue on its profit-and-loss statement for the same year, alongside $57.9 million in expenses and a $19.8 million surplus. That leaves more than $54 million unaccounted for in the Israeli filing, even before considering the reported surplus.

United Hatzalah has offered an explanation on its website. The organization states that under Israeli accounting standards, $66 million was recorded as restricted funds on the balance sheet rather than as current-year revenue. The organization claims total recorded support of $144 million when both figures are combined. It further states that funds raised by "Friends of" organizations are transferred directly to United Hatzalah of Israel and that the Israeli entity maintains bank accounts only in Israel.

However, as investigative journalist Daniel Mael noted in August 2025, no public reconciliation document has been offered that maps the $132.8 million disbursed by the US entity to specific line items in the Israeli filing. The explanation relies on an accounting treatment that is not independently verifiable from publicly available documents. For an organization that depends almost entirely on donations, the absence of a clear public reconciliation raises legitimate questions.

Further complicating the picture: the Swiss entity (CHE-278.177.157) does not publish financial statements below certain regulatory thresholds. The French and Australian entities have not made their filings publicly accessible. If a portion of the funds disbursed by the US entity was routed through these intermediaries rather than directly to the Israeli amutah, that would not be visible in the Israeli P&L filing.

US Entity Reported Disbursed (2023)
$132,788,535
IRS Form 990, Friends of United Hatzalah Inc.
Israeli Entity Reported as P&L Revenue (2023)
$77,800,000
Israeli nonprofit registry, United Hatzalah of Israel
Unreconciled Gap
$54,988,535+
No public reconciliation document has been published
UH's Explanation
$66M recorded as restricted funds on balance sheet under Israeli accounting standards. Organization claims $144M total recorded support when combined.

Year-Over-Year Financial Trend (US Entity)

Source: IRS Form 990 filings, Friends of United Hatzalah Inc. (EIN 11-3533002), as reported on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. The spike in 2023 reflects post-October 7 emergency fundraising.

US Entity (FOUH)
$132,788,535
Reported disbursed to Israel
IRS Form 990, Schedule F (2023)
Unreconciled
$54,988,535+
No public reconciliation document.
Possible routes: Swiss node, restricted funds, inter-entity routing.
Israeli Amuta (UH Israel)
$77,800,000
Reported as P&L revenue
Israeli nonprofit registry (2023)
"United Hatzalah's international financial footprint continues to prompt reasonable questions about transparency and reporting. To the best of my knowledge, based on publicly available records, no explanation has been offered that reconciles these divergent figures."
Daniel Mael, The Mael Review, August 27, 2025

The "100% Volunteer" Claim

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United Hatzalah consistently markets itself to donors as a "100 percent volunteer" organization. The phrase appears in fundraising materials, on its website, and in public statements by its leadership. For many donors, the promise that no funds are spent on salaries is a primary motivation for giving.

The organization's own 2023 audited financials, however, tell a different story. Those documents, filed with Israel's nonprofit registry, show more than ₩44 million (approximately $12 million) in payroll and benefits for that year. The same registry lists 399 paid employees in Israel in 2023, alongside 7,774 self-reported volunteers. The most recent filing (2024) shows the figures have grown further: 482 paid employees and 8,015 volunteers, with annual revenue reaching ₩573,175,731 (~$155 million).

United Hatzalah has not disputed these figures. The organization's position, as reflected in its FAQ, is that the "volunteer" designation refers to the first responders themselves, not to the administrative and operational staff who support them. Running a dispatch system, maintaining a fleet of more than 1,800 vehicles, and managing a fundraising operation across six countries does require professional staff.

The concern raised by critics is not that staff are paid, but that the organization's public messaging does not reflect this reality. When a donor hears "100 percent volunteer" and interprets that to mean no funds go to salaries, they are operating on a materially inaccurate understanding of how their donation is used. The gap between the marketing claim and the disclosed financials is a transparency issue, regardless of whether the underlying expenditures are legitimate.

Additionally, the $12 million in Israeli payroll does not capture the full picture. Each international "Friends of" entity maintains its own staff, payroll, and overhead. None of those costs appear in the Israeli financials. The true proportion of donor funds spent on salaries across the global network is not publicly disclosed in any consolidated form.

The Claim
United Hatzalah describes itself as "100 percent volunteer" in donor-facing materials and public statements.
📄
The Filing
The 2023 audited financials show ₩44M+ (~$12M) in payroll and benefits. Israel's nonprofit registry (Guidestar) lists 399 paid employees in 2023, rising to 482 in 2024.
What's Missing
No consolidated payroll figure exists for the global network. International office staff costs are not reflected in Israeli filings.
Update — May 31, 2026

On May 31, 2026, Eli Beer posted on his public Facebook page ("Eli Beer Hatzalah"): "I am proud to represent purpose, action and mission of United Hatzalah. Over 10,000 volunteers who respond day and night across Israel, providing emergency medical care whenever and wherever it is needed."

The claim of 10,000 volunteers is not supported by any publicly available primary source. The most recent figure in the Israeli nonprofit registry (Amuta 580465979) lists 8,015 volunteers as of the 2024 annual report filed with Israel's Guidestar (guidestar.org.il). United Hatzalah's own website and prior fundraising materials have cited 6,000 and 8,600 volunteers at various points. No source documents the jump to 10,000. The post was made on a public Facebook page with a verified checkmark and carries no citation or supporting data.

SourceVolunteer CountDate
Israeli Guidestar registry (official)8,0152024 annual report
Israeli Guidestar registry (official)7,7742023 annual report
UH website / prior fundraising materials8,600Various (2022–2025)
Eli Beer Facebook post10,000+May 31, 2026
View Screenshot →

Source: Eli Beer, Facebook post, May 31, 2026 ("Eli Beer Hatzalah", verified page). Israeli registry figures: Amuta 580465979, Israeli Guidestar (guidestar.org.il) — 2024 annual report (8,015 volunteers, 482 employees); 2023 annual report (7,774 volunteers, 399 employees).

2024 Embezzlement Arrest

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In January 2024, Jerusalem District Police arrested a United Hatzalah employee on suspicion of embezzling hundreds of thousands of shekels (₩) from the organization. The arrest was reported by both the Jerusalem Post and the Times of Israel.

According to police, the suspect fraudulently obtained funds by submitting fake invoices from garages across Israel and by filing false reports of traffic accidents involving the organization's vehicles. The accidents, investigators determined, never occurred. The suspect also fabricated claims of damages caused to third parties as a result of these fictitious incidents.

Investigators found that the funds obtained through these methods were transferred to the suspect's relatives, directly to the suspect, and to various businesses and service providers. The charges filed included fraud, theft from an employer, forgery, conspiracy to commit a crime, and money laundering.

United Hatzalah confirmed the arrest and stated that the organization had cooperated with police. The case highlighted vulnerabilities in the organization's internal financial controls, particularly around vehicle expense reporting and invoice verification. In its 2024 FAQ, the organization acknowledged taking steps to "enhance governance, systems and financial controls" during that year, without specifying which incidents prompted those changes.

Case Summary
Date: January 30, 2024
Jurisdiction: Jerusalem District Police
Suspect: United Hatzalah employee (unnamed)
Amount: Hundreds of thousands of shekels (₩)
Method: Fake invoices; fictitious vehicle accident reports
Charges: Fraud, theft from employer, forgery, conspiracy, money laundering
Sources: Jerusalem Post; Times of Israel

The 2021 Defamation Judgment

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In July 2021, the Tel Aviv District Court ordered United Hatzalah to pay ₩250,000 to Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's national emergency medical service, after finding that United Hatzalah had conducted a coordinated campaign to defame and libel MDA. The judgment was described by legal observers as unusually severe by Israeli standards, where defamation awards to public organizations typically average around ₩43,000.

In a 42-page ruling, Justice Naftali Shilo found that United Hatzalah and its leaders had made false and disgraceful statements to major media outlets, with the intent to harm MDA's reputation. The court specifically named three individuals as acting in bad faith: Eli Beer, United Hatzalah's founder and president; Moti Elmaleh, its spokesman; and Moshe Teitelbaum, its CEO. Each was ordered to contribute to the damages payment from personal funds.

The core of UH's campaign was the claim that MDA was withholding emergency calls from United Hatzalah's volunteers, effectively causing preventable deaths. The court found this claim to be false. Israel's Ministry of Health, which has designated MDA as the national dispatch authority since 2014, confirmed that its system dispatches all registered first responders based on proximity, regardless of organizational affiliation. Ministry inspections found no discrimination between first responders by organizational affiliation.

The court also found that United Hatzalah had violated a Ministry of Health directive by continuing to advertise its 1221 phone number as an emergency number, rather than directing the public to 101, Israel's official emergency line. The ruling called this "dangerous and harms public safety."

Despite the judgment, United Hatzalah's leadership continued to repeat the same accusations. In 2022, Chairman Mark Gerson sent a private email accusing MDA's "power and ego" of costing lives. When confronted about the email, Gerson said he did not recall it. In October 2024, founder Eli Beer reportedly told a group of donors in a hotel lobby that supporting MDA "equals killing people in Israel." United Hatzalah has not publicly retracted the claims that the court found to be false.

Court Judgment Summary
Court: Tel Aviv District Court
Date: July 29, 2021
Ruling: United Hatzalah ordered to pay ₩250,000 to MDA
Named individuals: Eli Beer, Moti Elmaleh, Moshe Teitelbaum
Finding: "Orderly and deliberately planned campaign" of defamation
Additional finding: Violation of Ministry of Health directive; "dangerous and harms public safety"
"Freedom of expression is not freedom of contempt, and the right to have a voice is not the right to humiliate."
Justice Naftali Shilo, Tel Aviv District Court, 2021
"There is therefore an unequivocal determination by the regulator, the Ministry of Health, that there is no basis for United Hatzalah's claim."
Tel Aviv District Court ruling, 2021

October 7 and Unverified Accounts

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Primary Source Video

Eli Beer speaking at a fundraising event, claiming United Hatzalah volunteers found a baby in an oven. Israeli officials and independent journalists have not been able to verify this account. No retraction has been issued.

Transcript: "Little children. Some of them had grandparents who were Holocaust survivors and they were murdered in a Holocaust in Israel in 2023. Little babies, little children. You couldn't even recognize if they were kids. We saw a little baby in an oven. They put them in, these bastards put these babies in an oven and put on the oven. We found the kid a few hours later."

In the weeks and months following the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, United Hatzalah founder Eli Beer made a series of graphic public statements about atrocities he claimed to have personally witnessed or verified. These statements were made at fundraising events and public appearances, and were widely repeated in Jewish community media.

At the Republican Jewish Coalition conference in Las Vegas, Beer described an incident involving a pregnant woman whose stomach was allegedly cut open and whose unborn child was stabbed before she and her family were murdered. He also repeated claims that babies had been placed in ovens and burned alive. Beer additionally stated that United Hatzalah volunteers had killed or captured more than one hundred terrorists during the attacks.

Israeli officials and independent journalists subsequently reported that they could not confirm these specific accounts. United Hatzalah has not retracted the claims. The organization raised tens of millions of dollars in the months following the attacks, with the US entity reporting $144.9 million in total revenue for 2023, compared to $48.6 million in 2022.

The pattern raises a question that investigators and journalists have begun to examine: when a charity makes dramatic, emotionally compelling claims during a fundraising surge, and those claims later prove unverifiable or false, what obligation does the organization have to correct the record? United Hatzalah's own history, including the 2021 court finding that it made false statements about MDA, adds context to that question.

It is important to note that the October 7 attacks were real, that United Hatzalah volunteers did respond to the attacks, and that many of the atrocities committed that day have been documented and verified by Israeli authorities and international investigators. The concern raised here is specific: that particular claims made by Beer at fundraising events, and repeated in donor appeals, have not been substantiated and have not been corrected.

Oct 7, 2023
Hamas-led attacks on Israel. United Hatzalah volunteers respond.
Oct–Dec 2023
Eli Beer makes unverified atrocity claims at fundraising events including Republican Jewish Coalition conference.
2023 Full Year
US entity reports $144.9M in revenue, up from $48.6M in 2022 — a 198% increase.
2024–2025
Israeli officials and journalists report inability to confirm specific claims. No retraction issued by United Hatzalah.
Oct 2024
Beer reportedly tells donors in hotel lobby that supporting MDA "equals killing people in Israel."

The 1221 Hotline: Court Order, Ministry Directive, and Continued Marketing

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Israel's Ministry of Health has designated Magen David Adom (MDA) as the country's sole national emergency dispatch authority. Under that designation, 101 is Israel's official emergency medical number. In 2010, United Hatzalah was assigned the abbreviated hotline 1221 by ministerial recommendation — a number intended for organizational contact, not for public emergency dispatch.

The distinction matters. In its July 2021 ruling, the Tel Aviv District Court found that United Hatzalah had violated a Ministry of Health directive by continuing to advertise 1221 as an emergency number, rather than directing the public to 101. Justice Naftali Shilo wrote in the 42-page judgment that this conduct was "dangerous and harms public safety," citing the State Comptroller's report. The court found that United Hatzalah had ignored the Ministry's directive and continued publishing 1221 as an emergency contact despite being told to stop.

Magen David Adom's position, which the court did not contradict, is that two competing emergency numbers create confusion — particularly in high-stress situations where seconds count. Israel does not have a unified dispatch system like 911 or 999. Each service operates its own line: police is 100, fire is 102, and MDA is 101. Adding a competing emergency number, MDA argued, risks callers reaching the wrong service or delaying the dispatch of an ambulance.

In July 2023, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected MDA's petition to cancel 1221 entirely, ruling that the number's original assignment was valid. That ruling preserved United Hatzalah's right to operate 1221 as an organizational contact line. It did not address or overturn the Ministry of Health directive against advertising it as an emergency number, nor did it revisit the 2021 District Court finding that doing so was dangerous.

As of June 2026, Eli Beer's verified Instagram profile (@eli_beer, 27,400 followers) lists "Hotline: 1221" in the biography section, alongside the description "Providing free emergency care across Israel" and a "90-seconds response goal." The profile does not reference 101 or indicate that 1221 is not Israel's official emergency number. Beer has made similar references to 1221 as a primary emergency contact in fundraising materials, public speeches, and social media posts, including a January 2025 Instagram reel in which he described 1221 as "a lifeline."

Key Rulings & Directives
2014: Ministry of Health designates MDA as sole national dispatch authority; 101 is official emergency number
2021: Tel Aviv District Court finds UH violated Ministry directive; advertising 1221 as emergency number called "dangerous and harms public safety"
July 2023: Israeli Supreme Court rejects MDA petition to cancel 1221 entirely — number remains valid as organizational contact
June 2026: Beer's Instagram bio continues to list "Hotline: 1221" alongside "Providing free emergency care across Israel"
Primary Source: Instagram Profile (June 1, 2026)
Screenshot of Eli Beer's Instagram profile showing Hotline: 1221 listed in the biography

Eli Beer's verified Instagram profile (@eli_beer) as of June 1, 2026, listing "Hotline: 1221" alongside "Providing free emergency care across Israel." The profile does not reference 101, Israel's official emergency number.

Court Finding
2021: "Dangerous and harms public safety"
The Tel Aviv District Court found that advertising 1221 as an emergency number violated a Ministry of Health directive and was dangerous to the public. The ruling cited the State Comptroller's report.
Supreme Court (2023)
Number preserved, directive not overturned
The Supreme Court ruled that 1221's original assignment was valid and rejected MDA's petition to cancel it. The Ministry of Health directive against advertising it as an emergency number was not revisited.
Current Status
1221 still marketed as emergency contact (June 2026)
Beer's Instagram bio, fundraising materials, and public statements continue to present 1221 as a primary emergency contact, five years after the court ruling. No public statement has been issued addressing the Ministry directive.

The False Claims: A Pattern of Contradiction

Over more than a decade of public speaking, fundraising, and media appearances, Eli Beer has made a series of claims that have been directly contradicted by medical evidence, official records, Israeli journalists, and in several cases by United Hatzalah's own published materials. What follows is a documented record of those contradictions.

CONTRADICTED

The Pregnant Woman Whose Stomach Was Cut Open

October 28, 2023 — Republican Jewish Coalition, Las Vegas
"A woman who was pregnant, four months pregnant... they opened up her stomach, took out the baby and stabbed a little tiny baby in front of her."

Beer made this claim before the Republican Jewish Coalition conference, presenting it as something he personally witnessed. The claim spread rapidly, cited by commentators and politicians and viewed tens of millions of times across social media.

No such victim appears on the Israeli government's comprehensive published list of October 7 casualties. The only infant killed that day was 9-month-old Mila Cohen, who was shot while her mother held her. The claim of a woman being "exactly four months pregnant" — a precision that would require medical confirmation — has never been supported by a hospital record, a named victim, or any official Israeli source.

Critically, United Hatzalah's own official book documenting its October 7 response, Angels in Orange, includes a full chapter about Beer's RJC speech — with photographs — but makes no mention of this alleged eyewitness account. The one documented case involving a pregnant woman involved a woman in her third trimester who was brought to Soroka Medical Center with shrapnel wounds; her fetus did not survive. That case has a named treating physician, Prof. Rely Hershkovitz, and a hospital record.

Sources: Soch Fact Check (Aug 2024); Daniel Mael, "Lies in the Shadow of Massacre" (Substack); Israeli government casualty list; Angels in Orange (United Hatzalah, 2024)
CONTRADICTED

Baby Burned Alive in an Oven

October–November 2023, multiple public appearances

Beer championed the claim that Hamas had burned a baby alive in an oven, attributing it to a United Hatzalah volunteer. He repeated it across multiple platforms and compared those who questioned it to Holocaust deniers, stating: "I believe the testimony I received, not Ha'aretz."

Israeli journalists and police conducted forensic investigations and found no evidence to support the claim. A representative of ZAKA, the first-responder organization that processed the bodies at the kibbutzim, publicly stated the claim was false. The story has been listed by multiple independent fact-checkers as one of the most widely circulated unverified claims of the October 7 aftermath. It was cited in the Wikipedia article on misinformation in the Gaza war as a claim "repeated by journalist Dovid Efune, commentator John Podhoretz and others, in tweets seen over 10 million times" — with Israeli journalists and police finding no evidence for it.

Sources: FakeReporter (Nov 2023); Jerusalem Post (Nov 2023); Misinformation in the Gaza War (multiple fact-checkers); Daniel Mael, "Lies in the Shadow of Massacre"
CONTRADICTED BY OWN ORGANIZATION

The "Fabricated Baby Stomach-Cut Story" — IDF Source

September 2025

In a September 2025 investigation, journalist Daniel Mael reported that an IDF source confirmed Beer's account of the stomach-cut story was fabricated. The investigation, titled "False Witness," detailed how Beer's most viral October 7 claim could not be corroborated by any military, medical, or forensic source.

Sources: Daniel Mael, "False Witness: IDF Source Confirms Eli Beer's Fabricated Baby Stomach-Cut Story" (Substack, Sep 7, 2025)
CONTRADICTED BY HOSPITAL RECORDS

COVID Survival Odds: "5% Chance" vs. "50-50"

2020–present, multiple interviews and speeches

In speeches and fundraising appearances, Beer has repeatedly described his 2020 COVID hospitalization at the University of Miami as a near-death experience in which doctors gave him a 5% chance of survival. The story has become a central part of his public narrative and fundraising pitch.

The University of Miami's own published account of his case states he had a "50-50 chance of survival." The UHealth patient story, published by the University of Miami on May 27, 2022, reads: "His COVID symptoms soon worsened to a terrible case of pneumonia that would leave him in a coma for 18 days, with a 50-50 chance of survival."

Sources: UHealth Patient Story, University of Miami (May 27, 2022); israelrescue.org biography (Mar 12, 2023)
CONTRADICTED BY CHRONOLOGY

Founding United Hatzalah "at Age 16"

Multiple TED Talks, interviews, and speeches

Beer's origin story, told in his 2013 TED Talk and repeated in hundreds of subsequent appearances, describes how he began his first-response work as a teenager after witnessing a bus bombing. In various tellings, he implies or states he founded the organization as a teenager or very young man.

The chronology does not support this. Beer was born in 1973. United Hatzalah of Israel was formally incorporated in 2006, when he was 33 years old. His own biography on the israelrescue.org website states he "began volunteering on an ambulance at the age of 15" — not that he founded the organization at that age. The founding story has shifted across different tellings: some versions cite a 1978 bus bombing (when he would have been 5), others describe him responding to a 1995 bombing as a teenager.

Sources: israelrescue.org biography; United Hatzalah amutah registration records; Eli Beer TED Talk (2013); Authority Magazine interview (2021)
UNVERIFIED

Russia Planned the October 7 Attack to Distract from Ukraine

2023–2024, multiple appearances

In speeches following October 7, Beer claimed that Russia planned or orchestrated the Hamas attack as a geopolitical distraction from the war in Ukraine. He presented this as fact rather than speculation.

No U.S., Israeli, or Western intelligence agency has publicly supported this claim. The CIA, NSA, and Israeli intelligence services have stated they found no evidence that Russia had advance knowledge of or planned the October 7 attack. The claim has not appeared in any official government assessment.

Sources: U.S. intelligence community public statements; Israeli intelligence assessments (2023–2024)
CONTRADICTED BY OWN BOOK

The Kippah Rescue Story

Multiple fundraising events and media appearances

In fundraising speeches, Beer has described saving a 70-year-old man's life as a teenager by packing a severe neck wound with his kippah (skullcap) when no other medical supplies were available. The story is a staple of his public appearances and is used to illustrate the need for community first responders.

The claim is medically implausible as described: a kippah is a thin fabric cap with no hemostatic properties, and packing an arterial neck wound with such material in the manner described would not achieve the compression needed to prevent fatal blood loss. The story also conflicts with other versions of Beer's founding narrative, which place his inspiration in witnessing a bus bombing rather than a personal rescue. United Hatzalah's official published materials do not include a corroborated account of this specific incident.

Sources: Video analysis of Beer fundraising speeches; medical assessment of described technique; Angels in Orange (United Hatzalah, 2024)
CONTRADICTED BY GOVT DATA

Government Support: $2.6M vs. ₪16.5M

israelrescue.org FAQ (Accessed 2026)

In the "Funding & Finances" section of its official FAQ, United Hatzalah states that in 2023, its revenue included "government and municipal support ($2.6M / ₩9.5M / NIS 9.5M in 2023)." This figure minimizes the organization's reliance on Israeli state funds.

Data from Open Budget Israel (next.obudget.org) shows that United Hatzalah actually received ₪16,502,087 in state funds over a three-year period (₪556,752 in contracts and ₪15,945,335 in support grants), ranking it #3 in income from state funds in its category. The public FAQ figure underreports the full scope of government funding the organization receives.

Sources: israelrescue.org FAQ; Open Budget Israel (Association 580465979)
UNVERIFIED

Transporting 300 Bodies to Shura Base

2024, Meaningful Minute Podcast

In a 2024 interview, Eli Beer claimed that because ZAKA was overwhelmed after October 7th, United Hatzalah used their trucks to transport 300 bodies to the Shura military base before ZAKA fully mobilized.

This specific claim regarding the transport of 300 bodies to Shura base by United Hatzalah trucks has not been verified by the IDF, ZAKA, or independent media reports covering the forensic and identification efforts at the Shura base.

Sources: Meaningful Minute Podcast interview (2024); Independent media coverage of Shura base operations
Editorial note: This section documents claims that are directly contradicted by official records, hospital documentation, Israeli government casualty lists, or United Hatzalah's own published materials. Where a claim is listed as "unverified," it means no corroborating primary source has been identified. United Hatzalah has not responded to requests for comment on these specific discrepancies.

October 7: What United Hatzalah Said vs. What the Record Shows

On October 7, 2023, United Hatzalah held a live Zoom fundraising call with major donors. The call, recorded and later posted to YouTube, contains a series of specific factual claims about the organization's response, about Gitty Beer's actions that day, and about the failures of other agencies. A subsequent promotional video and a personal account published on israelrescue.org added further detail. This section compares those claims against the video footage itself, official records, and contemporaneous reporting.

1. Gitty Beer: The Claim vs. The Camera

During the Zoom call, Eli Beer made a series of specific claims about his wife Gitty Beer's actions on October 7. These claims were made to a room of major donors in the context of a live fundraising appeal. Shortly after, Gitty Beer appeared on camera. The contrast between what Beer described and what the footage shows is the central visual contradiction of the call.

What Eli Beer Claimed (Zoom Call)
  • 07:18 — "My wife Gitty is in Sderot now. She treated 40 people, my wife treated 40 people in one day. Including intubating and... unfortunately a few of them she couldn't save, people were dead."
  • 14:10 — "Gitty just came back from Sderot."
  • 14:22 — "She left this morning at 7:30 in the morning to Sderot."
  • 14:38 — "She was there the whole day in Sderot."
  • 15:08 — "I didn't even speak to her. This is the first time she walks in. She came back with my son-in-law Aaron, they switched teams."

Summary: Gitty Beer spent the entire day in Sderot — an active combat zone — treating 40 trauma patients, performing intubations, and watching patients die. She had just returned moments before appearing on camera.

What the Camera Shows
  • Gitty Beer walks into the frame at 14:17, supposedly moments after returning from a full day of field trauma care in Sderot.
  • She is wearing a clean, plain white t-shirt — no United Hatzalah vest, no medical uniform, no protective gear.
  • She appears physically clean: no visible blood, no dirt, no signs of having worked in a mass-casualty triage environment.
  • When Beer asks her at 16:04 to describe what happened in Sderot, she covers her mouth, shakes her head, and walks out of frame without speaking.
  • Beer says: "Gitty doesn't want to talk. I'm sorry."

A first responder who treated 40 trauma patients — including performing intubations — in a field environment over the course of a full day would not plausibly return wearing a pristine white t-shirt with no visible blood or fluid. Her refusal to speak on camera, combined with her appearance, is inconsistent with the account her husband gave moments earlier.

The Official UH Article (israelrescue.org, Nov 1 2023)

A first-person account by-lined to Gitty Beer was published on israelrescue.org on November 1, 2023. In it, she describes arriving "down south" in the morning, encountering "bodies scattered all over the street," and treating a severely wounded soldier around noon alongside other volunteers. She describes performing an intubation on one soldier — not 40 patients. The article makes no mention of running through fire, burning cars, or treating dozens of casualties. The single-patient account in the published article is materially different from the "40 people treated" claim made by Eli Beer on the Zoom call the same day.

Source: Gitty Beer, "A Firsthand Account of Lifesaving Efforts Under Fire," israelrescue.org, November 1, 2023

2. IDF and MDA: What the Zoom Said vs. What the Public Videos Said

The private Zoom call and the public fundraising videos tell noticeably different stories about the IDF and MDA. The private call, addressed to major donors, contained explicit criticism of the IDF's preparedness and implied UH filled a gap left by other agencies. The public-facing videos — released for broader audiences — contain no such criticism.

Private Zoom Call (Donor Audience)
  • 02:45 — Linor Attias: "They didn't have medical equipment, they didn't have doctors or paramedics. We made the intubation, we made all the drugs, we made everything, all the procedures because the IDF didn't have the forces and they didn't have the equipment to do so. And therefore it was only United Hatzalah..."
  • 08:36 — Eli Beer: "Because the army were not prepared. Not prepared. The army was not prepared to this. The government was not prepared."
  • 11:32 — Dovi Maisel: "The situation was so out of control on the government level that there was no adequate response" — claiming hundreds of victims had to be transported in private cars because no government ambulances were available.
  • 17:48 — Dovi Maisel: "Hundreds of calls were not getting an ambulance response due to a lack of resources."
Public Fundraising Videos (General Audience)
  • The UH promotional video (sITDkL1W_Ac) makes no claims about IDF failures. It shows UH volunteers working "together with the soldiers."
  • The fundraising video (iY1i7VpyZR4) makes no negative claims about the IDF or MDA. It describes UH volunteers going in "together with the Golani soldiers."
  • Neither public video mentions MDA failing to respond, abandoning the scene, or being absent.
  • On the Zoom call itself, Beer said at 23:09: "We're not the only ones, we work with the army, with Magen David Adom and other organizations" — directly contradicting the framing used earlier in the same call.
The MDA Record

MDA paramedic Amit Mann was murdered at Kibbutz Be'eri while treating patients on October 7. MDA driver Aharon Haimov was shot and killed in Ofakim. MDA dispatched hundreds of ambulances and treated thousands of casualties that day. In 2021, the Tel Aviv District Court ruled that United Hatzalah had carried out "a coordinated plan to defame and libel Magen David Adom" through "false and disgraceful statements" and ordered the organization to pay ₩250,000 in damages. The pattern of implying MDA's absence while soliciting donations for UH is consistent with the conduct the court found defamatory.

Sources: MDA press releases; AFMDA; Tel Aviv District Court ruling, 2021; Jerusalem Post

3. Specific Claims Made During the Zoom Fundraiser — Verification Status

The October 7 Zoom call was a live fundraising event. Chairman Mark Gerson announced a $3 million emergency fund release and set a $10 million fundraising target during the call. The following specific factual claims were made to donors. Exact timestamps are from the video at youtube.com/watch?v=IVBb6K0IkZo.

Claim Speaker Timestamp Status
Gitty Beer personally treated 40 patients, including intubations, in Sderot in one day Eli Beer 07:18 Contradicted by her appearance on camera and her own published account (1 patient, not 40)
IDF had no medical equipment, no doctors or paramedics on site — "it was only United Hatzalah" Linor Attias 02:45 Unverified — contradicted by UH's own public videos which show UH working alongside IDF soldiers
1,500–1,700 UH volunteers deployed to the south Eli Beer / Dovi Maisel 07:45 / 11:03 Unverified — no independent operational log published
Over 600 patients treated by UH volunteers by the time of the call Dovi Maisel 11:12 Unverified
Hundreds of victims transported in private cars due to "no adequate government response" Dovi Maisel 11:32 Unverified — contradicted by Beer's own statement at 23:09 that UH worked with MDA
4,500 missiles fired at Israel Dovi Maisel 10:33 Disputed — Israeli government early reporting cited approximately 2,500 rockets
Terrorists took selfies pointing guns at Holocaust survivors in an old age home Eli Beer 06:45 Unverified — no corroborating report from Israeli authorities or media
Half the people in Kibbutz Holit were murdered Dovi Maisel 19:26 Unverified — Holit suffered casualties but this specific proportion has not been confirmed in official records
Over 12,000 emergencies handled on October 7 (vs. usual 2,000/day) Eli Beer Video 3, 0:36 Unverified — no dispatch log published
$3 million released from emergency funds; $10 million fundraising goal set Mark Gerson ~51:30 Confirmed — FOUH 2023 Form 990 shows a significant increase in grants to Israel in the fiscal year ending June 2024

4. The Fundraising Context

The Zoom call was not a press briefing or an operational debrief. It was a live fundraising event addressed to major donors, with a $10 million target announced during the call. The narrative structure — UH volunteers heroically filling the gap left by an unprepared army and absent government ambulances — was the direct fundraising pitch. The Daniel Mael Substack documented that at the RJC fundraiser, the narrative implying MDA had retreated while UH went forward directly resulted in at least one donor purchasing two ambulances on the spot.

The contrast between what was said in the private donor call and what appeared in the public-facing videos is notable. The IDF criticism and the implication of MDA's absence appear only in the donor call. The public videos show UH working cooperatively alongside the IDF and make no mention of other agencies failing. The same pattern — dramatic, unverifiable claims about UH's unique heroism paired with implicit criticism of other organizations, made in a fundraising context — is what the Tel Aviv District Court found constituted defamation of MDA in 2021.

Primary sources: Zoom call (youtube.com/watch?v=IVBb6K0IkZo) • UH promotional video (youtube.com/watch?v=sITDkL1W_Ac) • UH fundraising video (youtube.com/watch?v=iY1i7VpyZR4) • Gitty Beer, "A Firsthand Account of Lifesaving Efforts Under Fire," israelrescue.org, November 1, 2023 • Daniel Mael, The Mael Review (Substack) • Tel Aviv District Court ruling, 2021 • MDA press releases; AFMDA

What the Videos Say — and What They Contradict

United Hatzalah has published a feature-length documentary and a separate women's unit fundraising video. A comparison of the two reveals claims that directly contradict each other, and claims that contradict the primary source record already documented in this investigation.

Documentary (2024)

United Hatzalah feature documentary — contains key factual claims analyzed below

Women's Unit Fundraiser

Women's unit fundraising appeal — states "today, there are not enough" female responders

Internal Contradiction #1 — Female Responder Sufficiency
Documentary Claim

The documentary showcases Gitty Beer, Dr. Tamar Schlesinger, and Eli Beer's daughter Avigail as active, capable female responders on October 7, using their stories as central evidence of the organization's strength and effectiveness.

Women's Unit Video Claim

"Today, there are not enough [female responders]." The video states that female patients are not receiving proper care due to a shortage of women, and solicits donations to train and equip more female volunteers via the Adele and Joel Sandberg Women's Unit.

The same organization simultaneously presents female responders as a fundraising success story and as a fundraising gap story, depending on the audience being solicited.

Internal Contradiction #2 — Gitty Beer's October 7 Account
Documentary (Timestamp 21:53)

Gitty Beer treated 41 critically injured people, successfully intubated a soldier with a gunshot wound to the head, insisted he be flown by helicopter to Tel Aviv (saving his life), and put out a fire on a burning body using her drinking water so the family would have a body to bury.

October 7 Donor Zoom Call (Documented)

When Eli Beer describes Gitty's actions to donors and she appears on camera, she covers her mouth, shakes her head, and walks out of frame without speaking when asked to describe what happened. Beer says: "Gitty doesn't want to talk. I'm sorry."

The documentary presents a detailed, specific heroic account. The live Zoom call, recorded the same period, shows Gitty Beer unable or unwilling to corroborate the account in real time, in front of the same donor audience.

Documentary Admission — "Stealing" MDA Emergency Calls

At timestamp 05:11, Eli Beer states on camera: "We would steal Magen David Adom's calls." He describes purchasing police scanners in the United States to intercept MDA's emergency dispatch frequency and arrive at scenes before MDA ambulances.

This admission is directly relevant to the 2021 Tel Aviv District Court ruling, which found that United Hatzalah conducted a "coordinated plan to defame and libel Magen David Adom." The documentary presents the scanner interception as a founding innovation. The court found the broader pattern of competitive behavior against MDA to be defamatory and ordered ₪250,000 in damages.

Inconsistent Volunteer Count Across Platforms
Source Claimed Volunteer Count
Documentary (2024) 8,500
Book "90 Seconds" (2023, various chapters) 6,000 / 8,000 / "thousands"
UH Website (2024) 6,500
Pollak J-Post Op-Ed (Jan 2024) Not specified
Various fundraising materials "Over 10,000"

No consistent volunteer count appears across UH's own published materials. The range spans from 6,000 to over 10,000 depending on the platform and audience.

Inconsistent October 7 Lives Saved Claims
Documentary (Timestamp 23:34)

"I can say with certainty, 800 people would not have survived if not for United Hatzalah."

Pollak J-Post Op-Ed (Jan 15, 2024)

"Our volunteers... saved more than 2,500 lives" on October 7.

The documentary and the CEO's own published op-ed, written within months of each other, cite figures that differ by more than 3x. No methodology is provided for either figure. The total number of people killed on October 7 was approximately 1,200.

Sources: United Hatzalah documentary (YouTube, 2024) • United Hatzalah Women's Unit video (YouTube, 2024) • Eli Pollak, Jerusalem Post, January 15, 2024 • Tel Aviv District Court, Case 56823-09-19 (2021) • October 7 Zoom call footage (documented in October 7 section above)

The Jerusalem Post Op-Ed: Claims vs. The Record

On January 15, 2024, United Hatzalah CEO Eli Pollak published an opinion piece in the Jerusalem Post under his own byline. The article makes several specific factual claims that are contradicted by primary source documents, the organization's own filings, and the record established in this investigation.

Article Details
Title"The art of life saving: United Hatzalah on Oct. 7"
AuthorEli Pollak, CEO, United Hatzalah
PublishedJanuary 15, 2024, Jerusalem Post
NotePublished as opinion; author is the organization's CEO, not an independent journalist
Read Original Article →
J-Post Op-Ed
FALSE
"United Hatzalah was the only medical service on the ground."
The record: MDA (Magen David Adom) — Israel's national EMS and Red Cross equivalent — deployed hundreds of paramedics and ambulances to the Gaza Envelope on October 7. MDA treated and evacuated the majority of the wounded. The IDF Medical Corps, ZAKA, and private ambulance services were also present. The claim that UH was "the only medical service on the ground" is contradicted by contemporaneous MDA press releases, IDF statements, and news reporting from October 7.
Source: MDA press releases, Oct 7–8, 2023 • IDF Spokesperson statements • Haaretz, Ynet, Times of Israel coverage
J-Post Op-Ed
CONTRADICTED
"Our volunteers... saved more than 2,500 lives" on October 7.
The record: The same organization's documentary, released the same year, states "800 people would not have survived if not for United Hatzalah" on October 7. The op-ed figure of 2,500 is more than three times the documentary figure of 800. The total number of people killed on October 7 was approximately 1,200. No methodology is provided for either figure in either source.
Source: UH Documentary (YouTube, 2024, timestamp 23:34) • Israeli government casualty figures
J-Post Op-Ed
MISLEADING
"We ensure that medical service is provided to all people free of charge... we want to ensure that no life will be lost due to the high monetary cost of medical aid."
The record: The op-ed implies MDA charges patients while UH does not. Since September 2017, Israeli citizens insured through a national health fund are not directly billed by MDA — costs are processed through the national health insurance system. The 2021 Tel Aviv District Court found that UH's repeated characterization of MDA as a fee-charging service was part of a "coordinated plan to defame and libel" MDA, and ordered ₪250,000 in damages.
Source: Tel Aviv District Court, Case 56823-09-19 (2021) • Israeli National Health Insurance Law
J-Post Op-Ed
CONTEXT OMITTED
"Since its establishment in 2006, in each area where we have noticed that there was a shortage of medical personnel, United Hatzalah established new medical units."
The record: The founding date of 2006 is itself disputed. The book "90 Seconds" states Beer founded the organization in 2006, but contemporaneous Israeli media and UH's own earlier materials cite 2009 as the founding year. The op-ed's 2006 date adds an additional three years of claimed history not supported by the organization's own earlier public record.
Source: UH founding controversy — see "Founding Controversy" section of this investigation
J-Post Op-Ed
MISLEADING
"On average, our volunteers take care of more than 2,000 emergencies a day, treating approximately 750,000 people a year."
The record: 750,000 treatments per year at 2,000 per day implies 375 days per year, which is mathematically impossible. 2,000 per day × 365 days = 730,000, not 750,000. More significantly, the organization's own IRS Form 990 filings and Israeli registry data do not provide an independently audited figure for calls answered or patients treated. These figures appear in fundraising materials and op-eds without a disclosed methodology or third-party verification.
Source: IRS Form 990 (2024) • Israeli Corporations Authority, Amuta 580465979
J-Post Op-Ed
CONTEXT OMITTED
The op-ed describes UH as filling a gap left by "institutional failure" on October 7, positioning the organization as a replacement for failing national services.
The record: The op-ed was published three months after October 7, during an active fundraising campaign. The framing of national institutional failure as a UH fundraising opportunity — while MDA, the IDF Medical Corps, and other services were simultaneously treating and evacuating casualties — mirrors the pattern the 2021 court found to be defamatory when applied to MDA specifically.
Source: Tel Aviv District Court, Case 56823-09-19 (2021) • MDA October 7 operational reports
Sources: Eli Pollak, "The art of life saving: United Hatzalah on Oct. 7," Jerusalem Post, January 15, 2024 • Tel Aviv District Court ruling, 2021 • UH Documentary (YouTube, 2024) • IRS Form 990 (2024) • MDA operational reports, October 2023

The Board: Family Ties and Financial Relationships

The 2024 Friends of United Hatzalah Form 990 lists 84 board members. A review of that filing identifies at least six confirmed married couples serving simultaneously on the same board, one confirmed father-daughter pair, multiple family groups sharing surnames, and two board members whose companies received investments from the organization's reserve fund — both disclosed on Schedule L as related-party transactions.

Confirmed Family Members on the Board

IRS rules require that at least 51% of a public charity's voting board members be independent. The presence of multiple married couples on the same board raises questions about how independence is calculated and whether the organization meets that threshold. The following couples are confirmed from the 2024 Form 990 and public records:

Board Member 1 Board Member 2 Relationship Additional Notes
Mark Gerson (Chairman) Rabbi Erica Gerson (#68) Husband and wife Gerson is also Chairman of 3i Members (One CC Software Inc.), which received a $250,000 investment from FOUH's reserve fund — disclosed on Schedule L
Hon. David Friedman (#32) Abbie Green Friedman (#5) Father and daughter David Friedman is the former U.S. Ambassador to Israel (2017–2021); Abbie Green Friedman is his daughter
Joel Sandberg (#40) Adele Sandberg (#7) Husband and wife Parents of Sheryl Sandberg (former COO of Meta); the "Adele and Joel Sandberg Women's Initiative" is named after them and funded through FOUH
Murray Laulicht (#63) Linda Laulicht (#48) Husband and wife
Harlan Korenvaes (#31) Amy Korenvaes (#12) Husband and wife
Shalom Maidenbaum (#75) Iris Maidenbaum (#33) Husband and wife
Mark Engel (#56) JoAnn Engel (#39) Husband and wife

Family Groups

Beyond married couples, several family groups appear to be represented on the board by multiple members:

Family Name Board Members Notes
Weiss Allan Weiss (#11), George Weiss (#30), Lydia Weiss (#51), Catherine Weiss (Secretary) Four board members share the Weiss surname; relationships not confirmed in public records
Gindi Isaac G. Gindi (#34), Raymond Gindi (#69) The Gindi family are major real estate developers; Eli Beer is also a partner at Gindi Equities
Goldberg Alex Goldberg (#9), Basheva Goldberg (#17), Murray Goldberg (#62) Three board members share the Goldberg surname; relationships not confirmed in public records

Financial Related-Party Transactions (Schedule L, 2024 Form 990)

The 2024 Form 990 Schedule L discloses two transactions between FOUH and companies controlled by its own board members. Both transactions are described as investments from the organization's reserve fund. The 990 states that neither transaction resulted in personal benefit to the board member, but does not describe the process by which this determination was made or whether an independent committee reviewed the investments.

Board Member Role Company Transaction Amount 990 Description
Mark Gerson (Chairman) Founder, board chair, and largest equity owner 3i Members (One CC Software Inc.) $250,000 Investment from reserve fund; no personal benefit stated
Neil Book (#64) Chair, President & CEO of JSSI JSSI Aviation Capital Fund $322,431 Investment from reserve fund; no personal benefit stated

The Yaron Carni Dual-Role Question

Yaron Carni (#81 on the FOUH board) is simultaneously a co-owner and director of Maverick Ventures GP Ltd., an Israeli private equity fund manager. According to Maverick Ventures' SEC Form ADV filing (CRD 309959, filed March 31, 2025), Eternal Realty Inc. — a company owned by Eli Beer — is listed as a paid placement agent for the fund. This means the organization's founder is receiving compensation from a fund whose co-owner sits on the charity's own board. Carni also holds a board position on the Israeli amutah (United Hatzalah of Israel), giving him governance roles on both the US and Israeli sides of the organization simultaneously.

Editorial note: The presence of married couples and family members on a nonprofit board is not prohibited by IRS rules, provided the organization maintains a majority of independent directors. The related-party transactions disclosed on Schedule L are legally disclosed and do not constitute evidence of wrongdoing. The questions raised here concern governance transparency and the process by which potential conflicts are identified and managed.

The Founding Controversy: What Does "United" Actually Mean?

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United Hatzalah presents itself as a unified national organization founded by Eli Beer. The historical record reveals a more complicated picture: a contested founding date, a predecessor organization driven into bankruptcy, a breakaway group formed by dissatisfied volunteers, and a landscape of more than twenty independent Hatzalah organizations in Israel that have never been part of United Hatzalah at all.

The Founding Date Inconsistency

United Hatzalah's own FAQ states that "Eli founded United Hatzalah Israel in 2006." The organization's official website and its regulatory filings in Israel consistently use 2006 as the founding year. However, in donor-facing materials and media interviews, the founding date shifts. A 2019 profile in the Jewish Journal states that United Hatzalah was "Founded by Beer in 1992." A 2020 profile by Ashoka, the social entrepreneurship network that elected Beer as a Fellow, describes Beer as having "founded the organization United Hatzalah" at age 17 — which would place the founding around 1991 or 1992. The same Ashoka profile then states separately that "In 2006, Eli established United Hatzalah of Israel, launching new volunteer rescue chapters throughout the country."

The apparent resolution is that Beer did found a small neighborhood Hatzalah unit in Jerusalem in the early 1990s, which later became the nucleus of a larger organization. In 2006, that organization was formally reconstituted and renamed as "United Hatzalah" following the Second Lebanon War. United Hatzalah's own Facebook page acknowledges this: "In 2006 Eli changed the name of the organization to United Hatzalah to represent the partnership of Jewish, Muslim, Druze and Christian volunteers." The issue is that Beer and the organization's marketing materials routinely present 1992 as the founding of United Hatzalah — a name and organizational structure that did not exist until 2006 — thereby claiming fourteen additional years of institutional history that belong to a different, smaller entity.

The Organization United Hatzalah Displaced

Before United Hatzalah existed, Israel's primary national-level Hatzalah organization was Hatzolah Israel, led by David "Duki" Greenwald. Hatzolah Israel was the established umbrella body for independent local Hatzalah chapters across the country. When Eli Beer launched Ichud Hatzalah (United Hatzalah) in 2006 — in part by recruiting existing Hatzolah Israel volunteers and chapters — the two organizations entered direct competition for volunteers, donors, and public recognition. According to published records on the structure of Hatzalah chapters, the competition that followed "eventually led Hatzolah Israel to declare bankruptcy."

The framing that United Hatzalah was founded to fill a gap in Israeli emergency services omits this context. A pre-existing national Hatzalah organization was operating in Israel. United Hatzalah did not emerge into a vacuum; it emerged as a competing entity and ultimately displaced the incumbent. The circumstances of that displacement — including how volunteers and assets were recruited away — have never been publicly examined by United Hatzalah or its international fundraising arms.

The Breakaway: Tzevet Hatzolah

Not all volunteers who had been part of Hatzolah Israel were willing to join United Hatzalah. A group of volunteers who were, according to published accounts, "dissatisfied with the actions of Ichud Hatzalah's leadership" refused to join the new organization and instead founded their own group: Tzevet Hatzolah (loosely translated as "Team Hatzolah"). Tzevet Hatzolah operates in Jerusalem and other areas, providing both emergency first-responder care and emergency transport in partnership with Magen David Adom ambulances. It is fully integrated into MDA's dispatch system — the model that Israel's Ministry of Health has consistently required of all Hatzalah organizations.

The existence of Tzevet Hatzolah is a direct consequence of United Hatzalah's founding. It represents a documented internal split, driven by objections to United Hatzalah's leadership and operational choices. Tzevet Hatzolah's chairman, Avraham Reichman, has described his organization's model as one that works within the national system: "We're part of this much larger, better resourced EMS response network, enabling us to have better tools and equipment. And, when there's a medical emergency in the neighborhood or anywhere in the city, we operate as one big family."

The "United" That Isn't

The name "United Hatzalah" implies a unified national organization. The reality, as documented by investigative journalist Daniel Mael in August 2025, is that "in Israel, there isn't one Hatzalah. There are many. Each is independent, with its own money, leadership, and volunteers." According to a November 2021 report by the American Friends of Magen David Adom, "more than 20 hatzalah organizations, except for the United Hatzalah organization, are fully integrated into MDA — trained by them, equipped by them, dispatched by them, and in most cases treating and evacuating patients aboard Magen David Adom ambulances." The italicized exception is significant: United Hatzalah is the outlier, not the norm, in Israel's Hatzalah ecosystem.

These independent organizations — including Tzevet Hatzolah, the Beit Shemesh Hatzolah, the Gush Dan organization, and others — are not branches of United Hatzalah. They are separate legal entities with their own governance, their own volunteer bases, and their own funding. When United Hatzalah raises money internationally on the premise that it represents Israel's unified volunteer emergency network, it is presenting a picture of consolidation that does not match the fragmented, competitive reality on the ground.

UH Official FAQ (2024–2025)
"Eli founded United Hatzalah Israel in 2006."
israelrescue.org/frequently-asked-questions/
Jewish Journal Profile (Feb 2019)
"Founded by Beer in 1992, United Hatzalah (the Hebrew word for 'rescue') is a nonprofit organization..."
jewishjournal.com, February 20, 2019
UH's Own Facebook Page
"In 2006 Eli changed the name of the organization to United Hatzalah to represent the partnership of Jewish, Muslim, Druze and Christian volunteers."
United Hatzalah of Israel, Facebook
Founding Timeline
~1992
Eli Beer, aged ~17, founds a small neighborhood Hatzalah unit in Jerusalem, inspired by the Brooklyn Hatzalah model.
Pre-2006
Hatzolah Israel, led by David "Duki" Greenwald, operates as the established national umbrella for independent Hatzalah chapters across Israel.
2006
Following the Second Lebanon War, Beer formally launches Ichud Hatzalah (United Hatzalah), recruiting volunteers and chapters from Hatzolah Israel. The two organizations enter direct competition.
Post-2006
Competition with United Hatzalah eventually leads Hatzolah Israel to declare bankruptcy. Dissatisfied volunteers refuse to join United Hatzalah and found Tzevet Hatzolah instead.
2021
AFMDA reports that more than 20 Hatzalah organizations in Israel — except United Hatzalah — are fully integrated into MDA's dispatch system.
Aug 2025
Daniel Mael notes publicly: "In Israel, there isn't one Hatzalah. There are many. Each is independent, with its own money, leadership, and volunteers."
The MDA Integration Exception
Of all Hatzalah organizations operating in Israel, United Hatzalah is the only one not fully integrated into MDA's national dispatch system. More than 20 others are trained, equipped, and dispatched by MDA. (Source: AFMDA, November 2021)
"In Israel, there isn't one Hatzalah. There are many. Each is independent, with its own money, leadership, and volunteers. So how 'united' is it really?"
Daniel Mael, @DanielMael on X, August 28, 2025

Key Organizations in Israel's Hatzalah Ecosystem

Organization Founded MDA Integration Status Notes
Hatzolah Israel Pre-2006 Yes Declared bankruptcy Led by David "Duki" Greenwald. The original national Hatzalah umbrella. Entered direct competition with United Hatzalah after 2006 and eventually went bankrupt.
United Hatzalah (Ichud Hatzalah) 2006 (renamed) No (outlier) Active Founded by Eli Beer. The only major Hatzalah organization in Israel not integrated into MDA's dispatch system. Operates its own 1221 dispatch number, which the Ministry of Health has directed it not to advertise as an emergency line.
Tzevet Hatzolah Post-2006 Yes Active Founded by volunteers dissatisfied with United Hatzalah's leadership. Jerusalem-based, 350+ EMT volunteers. Fully integrated with MDA for dispatch and transport.
20+ Local Hatzalah Organizations Various Yes Active Includes Beit Shemesh Hatzolah, Gush Dan Hatzolah, Har Nof HaChovesh, and others. All integrated with MDA. Approximately 30% of MDA's ambulance fleet is assigned to these affiliated organizations.

Sources: American Friends of Magen David Adom (November 2021); Atlanta Jewish Times (January 2019); Daniel Mael, The Mael Review (August 2025).

Did United Hatzalah Invent the Ambucycle?

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United Hatzalah and its founder Eli Beer have built a significant portion of the organization's international brand on the claim that Beer personally invented the ambucycle. The historical record tells a different story.

The Claim

The assertion that United Hatzalah invented the ambucycle appears across the organization's most prominent platforms. A page on the organization's official website states plainly: "That is why United Hatzalah invented the ambucycle in order to shave precious minutes off of EMS first response times." The organization's FAQ describes Eli Beer as having "revolutionized emergency medical services by disrupting the traditional EMS model through the introduction of the 'ambucycle.'" Beer's 2013 TED Talk, which has accumulated millions of views, presents the ambucycle as his personal innovation. The same narrative appears in his book 90 Seconds, a 2013 WIRED profile, and a Forbes feature. The TEDxGateway event page described Beer as the man who "invented the Ambucycle."

What the Record Shows

Motorcycle ambulances predate United Hatzalah's 2006 founding by nearly a century. During World War I, the British, French, and American militaries all deployed motorcycle ambulances, using Indian and Harley-Davidson machines fitted with sidecars to transport wounded soldiers from the front. The US Army Motorcycle Ambulance Corps operated in France by 1917. St John Ambulance in the United Kingdom operated a Harley-Davidson motorcycle ambulance as early as 1920, placing patients in an enclosed sidecar for transport. These facts are documented in the US National Archives and in contemporaneous military records.

In the civilian context, the London Ambulance Service launched its Motorcycle Response Unit in 1991 as a formal trial scheme — fifteen years before United Hatzalah was founded. The unit proved its value in reaching patients quickly in congested urban areas and has operated continuously since. By 2021, the unit had been running for thirty years. The bikes carry the same life-saving equipment as ambulances, including defibrillators.

In Israel specifically, Magen David Adom (MDA) — the country's national emergency medical service — first used motorcycles and bicycles for emergency calls in the 1930s, according to the American Friends of Magen David Adom. MDA's formal First Responder Motorcycle-Ambulance Unit was officially established in late 2003, three years before United Hatzalah was founded. MDA's medicycle fleet has since grown to approximately 650 volunteer bikers across Israel.

In Poland, a paramedic-led Motorcycle Response Unit began operating in Gdansk in 2002, equipped with the full medical inventory of a high-level ambulance. In Hungary, emergency physicians were mounted on fast-response motorcycles even earlier, with the International Fire and EMS Motorcycle Response Unit Association (IMRUA) later documenting the concept as a well-established global practice. The IMRUA's own records trace the EMS motorcycle concept to Salzburg, Austria, in 1980.

United Hatzalah's own 2019 website post on the ambucycle offers a more modest origin story than Beer's public claims. It describes the ambucycle as emerging after a 2002 terror attack in Jerusalem, when ambulances were blocked by a narrow street and an EMT observed a motorcycle navigating through the wreckage. The post credits the idea to an unnamed EMT at the scene. This account does not claim Beer as inventor, nor does it assert that the concept was new to the world — only that it was adopted by the organization after that incident.

The Significance

Investigative journalist Daniel Mael, writing in March 2026, addressed the claim directly: "Eli Beer did not invent the concept. He adopted an established global practice, gave it a new name, and repeated that origin story to millions of people as though it were a personal act of innovation. Presenting a rebranded existing idea as a revolutionary invention, in a TED Talk, in a book, in major publications, is not a minor exaggeration. It is a foundational misrepresentation that the organization has never corrected."

The ambucycle invention claim is not a financial irregularity. But it is part of a documented pattern in which United Hatzalah has made public assertions — about its own origins, about its operational statistics, about its competitors, and about events on October 7 — that do not withstand scrutiny against the primary record. For donors who give based on the organization's brand narrative, the accuracy of that narrative is a material question.

United Hatzalah has not publicly acknowledged that motorcycle ambulances predate its founding, nor has it corrected the "invented" language on its website or in Beer's TED Talk description.

UH's Claim (Official Website)
"That is why United Hatzalah invented the ambucycle in order to shave precious minutes off of EMS first response times."
israelrescue.org, published July 2018
UH's Claim (Official FAQ)
"Eli Beer revolutionized emergency medical services by disrupting the traditional EMS model through the introduction of the 'ambucycle.'"
israelrescue.org FAQ, 2024–2025
Motorcycle Ambulance Timeline
1914–1918
British, French & US militaries deploy motorcycle ambulances in WWI. Indian and Harley-Davidson machines used by the US Army Ambulance Corps and Red Cross.
1920
St John Ambulance (UK) operates a Harley-Davidson motorcycle ambulance with enclosed sidecar for patient transport.
1930s
Magen David Adom (Israel) first uses motorcycles and bicycles for emergency calls, per AFMDA records.
1980
EMS motorcycle concept documented in Salzburg, Austria. Austrian Red Cross begins medical motorcycle patrol in 1982 (IMRUA records).
1991
London Ambulance Service launches formal Motorcycle Response Unit — 15 years before United Hatzalah's founding.
2002
Gdansk (Poland) EMS begins motorcycle response unit. MDA's medicycle unit also founded this year.
Late 2003
MDA formally establishes its First Responder Motorcycle-Ambulance Unit in Israel — three years before United Hatzalah is founded.
2006
United Hatzalah founded. Adopts motorcycle-based first response model and brands vehicles as "ambucycles."
2013
Eli Beer's TED Talk presents the ambucycle as his personal innovation. The talk accumulates millions of views. Claim repeated in WIRED, Forbes, and Beer's book.
UH's Own 2019 Account
A 2019 post on UH's own website attributes the ambucycle idea to an unnamed EMT who observed a motorcycle navigating a blocked street after a 2002 Jerusalem terror attack — not to Eli Beer, and not as a novel global invention.
"Eli Beer did not invent the concept. He adopted an established global practice, gave it a new name, and repeated that origin story to millions of people as though it were a personal act of innovation. Presenting a rebranded existing idea as a revolutionary invention, in a TED Talk, in a book, in major publications, is not a minor exaggeration. It is a foundational misrepresentation that the organization has never corrected."
Daniel Mael, The Mael Review, March 26, 2026

Motorcycle Ambulance Precedents: A Comparative Record

Year Organization / Country Description Source
1914–1918 US Army / Red Cross / British & French Militaries Motorcycle ambulances with sidecars deployed in WWI. Indian Powerplus and Harley-Davidson machines used to transport wounded from front lines. US National Archives; The Vintagent (2018)
1920 St John Ambulance, United Kingdom Harley-Davidson motorcycle ambulance with enclosed coffin-like sidecar for patient transport operated in the UK. Documented in historical ambulance records
1930s Magen David Adom, Israel MDA first uses motorcycles and bicycles for emergency calls. Vehicles remain part of the fleet continuously since. American Friends of MDA (afmda.org)
1980–1982 Austrian Red Cross, Salzburg EMS motorcycle concept developed; Austrian Red Cross begins Medical Motorcycle Patrol in cooperation from 1982. IMRUA (International Fire & EMS Motorcycle Response Unit Association)
1991 London Ambulance Service, UK Formal Motorcycle Response Unit launched as a trial scheme. Bikes carry same equipment as ambulances including defibrillators. Unit still operational today. London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
2002 Gdansk EMS, Poland Harley-Davidson motorcycle equipped with full ambulance inventory (minus stretcher and infusion pump) begins responding to emergencies. JEMS, August 2017
Late 2003 Magen David Adom, Israel MDA formally establishes its First Responder Motorcycle-Ambulance Unit in Israel. Grows to ~650 volunteer bikers. Times of Israel Blogs (July 2020); AFMDA
2006 United Hatzalah, Israel Organization founded. Adopts motorcycle-based first response model. Names vehicles "ambucycles" — a branded term, not a novel vehicle type. United Hatzalah (israelrescue.org)

Highlighted rows indicate precedents in Israel itself. The London Ambulance Service Motorcycle Response Unit predates United Hatzalah's founding by 15 years; MDA's formal Israeli motorcycle unit predates it by 3 years.

The Global Charity Network

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United Hatzalah's fundraising structure spans at least six countries. Each national entity operates under its own legal framework, with its own board, auditors, and regulatory obligations. The lack of consolidated public reporting across the network makes independent verification of fund flows difficult.

The United States

Friends of United Hatzalah Inc. (EIN 11-3533002) is the organization's primary fundraising vehicle. It is a 501(c)(3) registered in New York, tax-exempt since 2001. Its Form 990 filings are publicly available through the IRS and ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer. In 2023, it reported $132,788,535 in grants to organizations abroad (Schedule F), all categorized as going to the Middle East and North Africa. In 2024, that figure collapsed to just $26,222,619 — a reduction of $106.6 million, or 80 percent — while total net assets simultaneously grew from $47 million to $84.9 million. This means the US entity retained dramatically more money in 2024 than in 2023, while sending dramatically less to Israel. The 2024 Form 990 also discloses that the organization provided first-class or charter travel to key employees or officers (Schedule J) and reported conflict-of-interest transactions (Schedule L). Both flags were also present in the 2023 filing.

2024 Grants Collapse — Major New Finding
US grants to Israel: $132.8M (2023) → $26.2M (2024). An 80% reduction. Meanwhile, US net assets grew from $47M to $84.9M. The organization retained $37.9M more than it spent in 2024 while sending far less to Israel. No public explanation has been offered for this reversal.

The United Kingdom

British Friends of United Hatzalah Israel (Charity No. 1101329) is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Its 2024 accounts show total income of £2,556,738 and total expenditure of £2,594,503. During 2024, the charity donated £1,935,000 as grants to United Hatzalah Israel, down from £2,277,000 in 2023. The UK Charity Commission has conducted compliance reviews of the charity. Its auditors noted procedures for detecting irregularities including fraud in their 2024 report.

Canada

United Hatzalah Canada is registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA No. 838255180RR0001). Its 2023 T3010 filing shows total revenue of CAD $8,527,710, of which $4,367,162 was received from other registered charities — a figure that strongly suggests a pass-through arrangement whereby US-raised funds are routed through the Canadian entity before being transferred to Israel. This structure, if confirmed, would mean that a portion of the donations reported by the US entity as "grants to Israel" may first pass through Canada, potentially inflating the apparent scale of each entity's individual giving. The entity employs four full-time staff and paid $289,343 in total compensation in 2023. Total assets were CAD $6,067,895 against liabilities of just $9,664.

Switzerland, France, and Australia

The Swiss entity (CHE-278.177.157), based in Geneva, is not required to publish financial statements below certain regulatory thresholds. The Australian entity — United Hatzalah Australia Incorporated (ABN 79 595 289 716), registered in September 2022 — is a small operation: its most recent ACNC filing shows total revenue of AUD $362,795 against total expenses of AUD $471,570, meaning it is running at a deficit of approximately AUD $109,000. The French entity has not made its filings publicly accessible. Investigative journalist Daniel Mael noted in August 2025 that the Swiss entity's opacity raises questions about whether funds may have been routed through it in ways not visible in the Israeli P&L filing.

"United Hatzalah International"

Michael Littenberg-Brown identifies himself on LinkedIn as CEO of "United Hatzalah International." This entity does not appear on United Hatzalah's official website alongside the national charities. Whether it is a formal legal body, a newly established umbrella organization, or simply an internal description of a global role has not been publicly clarified. Without public filings, its structure and financial obligations remain unknown.

Reported Fund Flows (2023)
Friends of UH Inc. (USA)
Reported disbursed: $132.8M (2023); $26.2M (2024)
United Hatzalah of Israel
Reported P&L revenue: $77.8M
Gap: $54.4M+ not reflected in Israeli P&L
British Friends (UK)
Granted £1.9M to Israel (2024)
UH Canada
CRA registered
UH Switzerland
Filings not public
UH France / Australia
Filings not confirmed public

Historical Fraud: The Weingarten Case (2014)

In 2014, the New York State Attorney General's office announced the felony tax fraud conviction of Yaakov Weingarten, a Brooklyn-based fundraiser who operated 19 sham charities from a storefront on Coney Island Avenue. Weingarten raised approximately $2 million from Jewish donors across North America, ostensibly for Israeli causes including emergency medical services.

Among the fake entities he operated was "Hatzalah Rescue of Israel, Inc." Weingarten withdrew large sums from charity bank accounts and used them for personal expenses including mortgage payments, home improvements, and utility bills. He pleaded guilty to Criminal Tax Fraud in the Third Degree, a Class D felony, and was sentenced to five years' probation. A civil judgment of $522,315 was entered against him and his wife.

Of the civil judgment, $360,000 was directed to the UJA Federation of New York, to be distributed equally between Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel and United Hatzalah of Israel, as the genuine organizations whose names had been exploited. Weingarten and his associates were permanently barred from charitable fundraising in New York. In this case, United Hatzalah was a victim of fraud, not a perpetrator. The case nonetheless illustrates the vulnerability of high-profile Israeli charities to exploitation by fraudulent fundraisers operating in their name.

Weingarten Case (2014)
Defendant: Yaakov Weingarten, Brooklyn
Conviction: Criminal Tax Fraud, 3rd Degree (Class D felony)
Sentence: 5 years probation
Civil judgment: $522,315
Funds to UH: $180,000 (as victim)
Fake entities: 19, including "Hatzalah Rescue of Israel, Inc."
UH's role: Victim — its name was exploited

The Spy Scandal: Private Investigators and Government Officials

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Before the 2021 defamation judgment, United Hatzalah ran a covert surveillance operation targeting Israeli government officials who regulated the emergency medical services sector. The operation was later exposed by Haaretz and became a central element of the court case.

Between approximately 2017 and 2018, United Hatzalah hired a private investigation firm, Ya'ar Civil Investigations, to conduct surveillance on senior officials at Israel's Ministry of Health. The primary targets were Miri Cohen, the Ministry's Director of Rescue Services, and David Azoulay, the Ministry's head of budgeting. Both officials were responsible for overseeing and regulating the emergency medical services sector, including United Hatzalah's operations and funding.

The surveillance included physical tracking of the officials' movements, background investigations into their personal and professional lives, and — according to reporting by Haaretz — GPS tracking of their vehicles. The goal, as the Tel Aviv District Court later found, was to gather material that could be used to challenge MDA's position as the designated national dispatch authority and to redirect donor and government funding toward United Hatzalah.

When the surveillance was discovered, a police complaint was filed. The matter fed directly into the defamation lawsuit brought by Magen David Adom (Case 53398-07-18), in which Justice Naftali Shilo found that United Hatzalah had run an "orderly and deliberately planned campaign" against MDA. The court's finding that the campaign was financially motivated — designed to capture MDA's donor base and government funding — gave the spy scandal context beyond mere competitive rivalry.

Haaretz published an investigation on June 30, 2022, under the headline "Israeli Emergency Medical Service Hired Private Detectives in Attempt to Defame Rival," drawing on the court record and police filings. The story was subsequently reported by Jewish News UK on July 21, 2022. United Hatzalah did not publicly dispute the factual account of the surveillance operation.

The significance of the spy scandal extends beyond the legal judgment. It documents that United Hatzalah's campaign against MDA was not a spontaneous public dispute but a coordinated, covert operation with professional resources behind it. The same organization that raised hundreds of millions of dollars from diaspora donors as a humanitarian charity was simultaneously running a private intelligence operation against government regulators.

Surveillance Operation Summary
Period: Approx. 2017–2018
Firm hired: Ya'ar Civil Investigations
Primary targets: Miri Cohen (MOH Director of Rescue Services); David Azoulay (MOH Budgeting)
Methods: Physical surveillance; background investigations; GPS vehicle tracking (reported)
Outcome: Police complaint filed; evidence used in defamation case (53398-07-18)
Court finding: Campaign was financially motivated to redirect MDA's donor base and government funding
Media coverage: Haaretz (June 30, 2022); Jewish News UK (July 21, 2022)
"Freedom of expression is not freedom of contempt, and the right to have a voice is not the right to humiliate. This is not the way of the Torah."
Justice Naftali Shilo, Tel Aviv District Court, Case 53398-07-18, 2021
Book Review

90 Seconds: A Fact-Check of the Official Narrative

ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications released 90 Seconds: The Epic Story of Eli Beer and United Hatzalah in 2023. A review of the text against public records, contemporaneous sources, and the organization's own published history reveals a pattern of factual inaccuracies, internal contradictions, and unverifiable claims.

Title
90 Seconds: The Epic Story of Eli Beer and United Hatzalah
Publisher / Year
ArtScroll / Mesorah Publications, 2023
Author
Yair Reiss Gendell
10+
Documented factual inaccuracies
3
Internal contradictions on protagonist's age
10 yrs
Error in ambucycle origin date
₩250K
Court-ordered damages for MDA defamation (2021)

Documented Inaccuracies: Claim by Claim

Ambucycle Origin Date
Chapters 8 & 9 (pp. 70, 82)
"By 1992 Eli had become more and more convinced that using motorcycles to get to emergencies... was the future of the organization."
Contradicted by UH's own website
United Hatzalah's own published history states the ambucycle was created after a terror attack in 2002 — the Beit Yisroel bombing on March 2, 2002. The book places the invention a full decade earlier, and the 1992 date appears in two separate chapters, making it a deliberate claim rather than a typo.
Source: United Hatzalah official website (Dec 2019); Wikipedia, "Beit Yisroel massacre"
Beer's Age at the Bus Bombing
Chapter 1
"He was age seven."
Mathematically incorrect
The #12 bus bombing occurred June 2, 1978. Beer was born September 13, 1973. He was 4 years and 8 months old at the time. A March 2023 UH press release about the book described him as a "helpless 5-year-old." A 2021 Authority Magazine interview has Beer saying "At age 6, I was walking home from school." The book's claim of "age seven" is off by more than two years.
Source: Jerusalem municipality bombing records; Beer's published birthdate
Internal Age Contradiction (1989 New York Trip)
Chapters 4 & 5 (pp. 40, 44, 51)
p. 40: "Eli was sixteen years old." • p. 44: "He was only fourteen years old." • p. 51: "Eli was fourteen years old."
Three contradictions, same trip
All three references describe the same 1989 New York trip. Given Beer's birthdate of September 13, 1973, he would have been 15 (turning 16 in September) during the summer of 1989. The book cannot settle on a consistent age for its protagonist across three separate references to the same event.
Source: Internal cross-reference, "90 Seconds" (ArtScroll, 2023)
The $700 Radio Scanner
Chapter 6 (p. 54)
"Seven hundred dollars each" for the best Radio Shack scanners.
Price inflated by ~75%
The top-of-the-line Realistic PRO-2006, introduced around 1990 and widely regarded as the best Radio Shack scanner of its era, had a documented retail price of $400. No Radio Shack scanner of that period retailed for $700.
Source: Contemporary Radio Shack catalogs; collector documentation
The "First Life Saved" — Founding Miracle
Chapter 6 (pp. 57–62)
A 70-year-old Holocaust survivor hit by a car at 45 Hapisga Street, saved by Beer's kippah, reunited at Hadassah Hospital.
Entirely unverifiable
The alleged victim has no name. The doctor who speaks to Beer at the hospital is also unnamed. No date is given. No hospital record is cited. No journalist, historian, or independent source has ever verified this story. The most emotionally significant event in the entire book cannot be independently confirmed.
Source: No corroborating source exists
1992 Portable Defibrillators
Chapter 8 (p. 70)
"Small automatic defibrillators... The year was 1992... about two thousand dollars each."
Anachronistic
The first commercially available, truly portable AED designed for widespread use was the Heartstream ForeRunner, which received FDA approval in September 1996. The $2,000 price point for a consumer AED reflects late 1990s or early 2000s market realities, not 1992, when such devices did not yet exist on the commercial market.
Source: FDA approval records; Heartstream/Philips product history
90% Cardiac Arrest Survival Rate
Chapter 8 (p. 70)
"A ninety percent chance that they would save the person's life."
Medically inaccurate
While early defibrillation is critical, a 90% survival rate significantly overstates AED efficacy in out-of-hospital settings. The American Heart Association reports that immediate CPR and early defibrillation within 3–5 minutes can increase survival rates to 50–70%. The book conflates the shock success rate with actual patient survival to hospital discharge, which is much lower.
Source: American Heart Association, CPR & ECC Guidelines
"Lifepak" as a Company Name
Chapter 8 (p. 76)
"A big medical supplies company called Lifepak."
Factually incorrect
"Lifepak" is not a company. It is a brand name for a series of defibrillators manufactured by Physio-Control, a medical technology company based in Redmond, Washington. The book demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the manufacturer versus the product line.
Source: Physio-Control corporate history; Stryker acquisition records
1948 Weapons Smuggling with the Mob
Chapter 5 (pp. 52–53)
Gabi Beer claims he brokered weapons deals with "underworld" figures in Saratoga Springs to smuggle arms to Israel during the 1948 War of Independence.
No corroborating evidence
While documented Jewish-American weapons smuggling operations existed in 1948 (such as Operation Balak), the specific claim that Gabi Beer partnered with organized crime in Saratoga Springs is presented without any corroborating evidence, citations, or independent verification of any kind.
Source: No corroborating source cited in the book
"I Had Already Delivered Many Babies"
Chapter 9 (p. 89)
"At that point, I had already delivered many babies, and I knew what to do." — Beer, describing a 2am emergency call circa 1992–1994.
Unverifiable
Beer would have been approximately 18–20 years old at the time. No training records, certification, or corroborating source is cited for this claim.
Source: No corroborating source cited in the book
MDA Official Told Beer to "Work in a Falafel Shop"
Chapter 28
MDA's head, "Eliyahu," dismisses Beer's volunteer dispatch idea and tells him to "go work in a falafel shop."
Unverifiable — and legally significant
This characterization of MDA leadership was published without any apparent right of reply from MDA, without independent corroboration, and without disclosing the 2021 Tel Aviv District Court ruling that found UH had conducted a defamation campaign against MDA. The court found UH made "false and disgraceful statements" about MDA. The book repeats the same narrative pattern two years after that ruling.
Source: Tel Aviv District Court, Case 53398-07-18 (2021)
Chapter 30 — The Presidential Ambush (Davos 2012)

Peña Nieto as "Governor" at Davos 2012
Chapter 30 (p. 249)
"Enrique Peña Nieto was serving as governor of the State of Mexico at the time."
Factually incorrect
Peña Nieto served as Governor of the State of Mexico from 2005 to September 2011. The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting takes place in January. By January 2012, his gubernatorial term had ended more than three months earlier. He was at Davos as a presidential candidate, not as a sitting governor.
Source: Wikipedia, "Enrique Peña Nieto"; WEF Annual Meeting 2012 (January 25–29, 2012)
Peres — "First Israeli President to Fly to Mexico"
Chapter 30 (p. 252)
"It was such a good relationship that he became the first president of Israel to fly to Mexico for an official visit."
Historically incorrect
Shimon Peres did make an official state visit to Mexico in November 2013. However, he was not the first Israeli president to do so. President Moshe Katsav made an official visit to Mexico in 2002, more than a decade before the Peres visit the book attributes to the Davos hallway meeting.
Source: Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, Mexico; diplomatic records
The Falafel Stand on 45th & Madison
Chapter 30 (pp. 246–247)
"I own a falafel stand on the corner of Forty-Fifth and Madison Avenue in Manhattan... Last year alone I sold forty-five million dollars worth of falafel right out of my corner stand."
No evidence of literal stand; likely rhetorical device
No business registration, tax record, or contemporaneous news report documents a falafel stand owned by Eli Beer at 45th and Madison Avenue. The book presents this as a verbatim conversation at Davos, but no independent source corroborates the claim. The anecdote appears to be a rhetorical device used to make a point about wealth versus mission — but the book presents it as a factual account without any caveat.
Source: No corroborating source cited in the book; no business records found
WEF Young Global Leaders — Queen Rania's Role
Chapter 30 (p. 244)
"Queen Rania al Abdullah of Jordan headed the international committee that decides which young global leaders are chosen every year."
Confirmed
Queen Rania of Jordan did chair the WEF Young Global Leaders selection committee. The WEF confirmed her role in multiple press releases. Eli Beer was selected as a Young Global Leader in 2012.
Source: World Economic Forum press releases; WEF Young Global Leaders program
Shimon Peres Presidential Award, 2011
Chapter 30 (p. 250)
"Eli had been the recipient of the presidential award presented by President Shimon Peres the previous year, in 2011."
Confirmed
Eli Beer received the Presidential Award for Volunteerism from President Shimon Peres in 2011. This is documented in multiple sources including Beer's own public biography.
Source: Wikipedia, "Eli Beer"; United Hatzalah official biography
Chapter 41 — Meeting in the Sky
Sheryl Sandberg’s Title
Chapter 41 (p. 349–351)
“Sheryl Sandberg. She’s the COO of Facebook.”
Misleading
Sheryl Sandberg resigned as COO of Meta (formerly Facebook) in June 2022 and officially departed in August 2022. The book, published in 2023, describes her as “the COO of Facebook” without noting that she had already left the company more than a year before publication.
Source: NPR, “In Surprise Move, Sheryl Sandberg Leaves Facebook After 14 Years,” June 1, 2022
Dave Goldberg’s Cause of Death
Chapter 41 (p. 350–351)
“Sheryl had experienced real tragedy in her life, losing her first husband, Dave Goldberg, while they were on vacation in Mexico. Dave had been working out in the hotel gym when he had a heart attack and passed away.”
False
Dave Goldberg did not die of a heart attack. He died on May 1, 2015 from severe head trauma and significant blood loss after collapsing and striking his head in a hotel gym in Mexico. A cardiac arrhythmia may have caused the fall, but the certified cause of death was the traumatic head injury, not a heart attack. Multiple news outlets, including The New York Times, reported this distinction explicitly.
Source: The New York Times, “Dave Goldberg, Husband of Sheryl Sandberg, Dies at 47,” May 2015; Vanity Fair, cause-of-death reporting, May 2015
MDA Described as “Essentially an Ambulance Company”
Chapter 41 (p. 347)
“Magen David Adom is essentially an ambulance company. United Hatzalah is more about the motorcycles, since our goal is to reach every emergency in ninety seconds.”
Misleading
Magen David Adom is Israel’s national emergency medical service, blood bank, and disaster relief organization. It is recognized under the Geneva Conventions as Israel’s Red Cross equivalent and is mandated by Israeli law (the Magen David Adom Law, 5710-1950). Describing it as “essentially an ambulance company” omits its role as the national blood service, its status under international humanitarian law, and its legally mandated national emergency coordination function. The Tel Aviv District Court found in 2021 that United Hatzalah had engaged in a coordinated campaign to defame MDA through false and misleading characterizations.
Source: MDA Israel official website (mdais.org); Tel Aviv District Court, Case 53398-07-18 (2021)
Claim That MDA Charges Patients
Chapter 41 (p. 347)
“Unlike any other ambulance company in Israel — whether Magen David Adom or any of the private ones — we don’t charge the patients for our services. We don’t charge for treating patients or for transporting them to the hospital. We don’t charge, period.”
Misleading
Since September 1, 2017, Magen David Adom does not directly charge Israeli citizens insured by a health fund for ambulance services. MDA transmits billing information to the patient’s health fund, which handles payment through the national health insurance system. Patients covered by Israel’s mandatory health insurance (Kupat Holim) are not billed out of pocket. Beer’s statement implies MDA charges patients directly, which has not been accurate for Israeli citizens since 2017.
Source: Israel National Insurance Institute; MDA billing policy (effective September 1, 2017)
Miami Gala Fundraising Figure
Chapter 41 (p. 352–353)
“Close to nineteen million dollars was raised that night.”
Overstated
A PR Newswire press release issued by Friends of United Hatzalah reported that the Miami gala raised $18 million, not “close to nineteen million.” The press release also describes Sheryl Sandberg as “Meta COO” — confirming the event took place while she still held that title — but the book’s figure of “close to nineteen million” rounds up by approximately $1 million from the organization’s own press release.
Source: PR Newswire, “Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg Headlines Fundraiser for Friends Of United Hatzalah Raising $18 Million,” January 2022
Chapter 52 & 53 — Operation Orange Wings (Ukraine)
Odessa to Kyiv Distance
Chapter 52 (p. 449)
“Odessa is a journey of about 600 miles from Kyiv.”
False
The road distance from Kyiv to Odessa is approximately 294 miles (473 km) via the M05 highway — less than half the figure stated in the book. Google Maps, Waze, and Ukrainian road authority data all confirm a driving distance of roughly 5–6 hours, not the 10–12 hours implied by 600 miles.
Source: Google Maps routing (Kyiv → Odessa); Ukrainian road network data; OpenStreetMap
Joel Lion’s Ambassadorship
Chapter 52 (p. 450–451)
“Joel Lion, Israel’s ambassador to Moldova, drove four hours from Chisinau to meet them at the border.”
Misleading
Joel Lion was appointed Israel’s Ambassador to Moldova in April 2022 — after the Russian invasion began in February 2022. The events described in Chapter 52 take place in the earliest days of the war (late February/early March 2022), before Lion had been formally appointed. Additionally, the drive from Chisinau to the Ukrainian-Moldovan border crossing at Palanca is approximately 90–120 minutes, not four hours.
Source: Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs appointment announcement, April 2022; Google Maps routing (Chisinau → Palanca border crossing)
“More Than Thirty-Five Planeloads”
Chapter 53 (p. 460)
“United Hatzalah has brought more than thirty-five planeloads of refugees out of the war zone of Ukraine to the safe shores of Eretz Yisrael.”
Contradicted by UH’s Own Data
United Hatzalah’s own 2022 Year in Review report states that Operation Orange Wings evacuated 3,000 refugees to Israel. At the standard charter configuration of approximately 150 passengers per flight (confirmed by multiple UH press releases describing “150 plus refugees” per plane), 35 flights would yield approximately 5,250 passengers — 75% more than UH’s own reported total. The book’s flight count is inconsistent with the organization’s own published refugee figure. The Jewish Agency’s September 2022 update reported 13,422 total Ukrainian olim, placing UH’s 3,000 at roughly 22% of all Ukrainian aliyah that year — a significant contribution, but far from the dominant role implied by the book’s narrative.
Sources: United Hatzalah Year in Review 2022 (israelrescue.org/app/uploads/2023/07/YIR-2022.1-1.pdf); Jewish Agency Ukraine Update, September 2022; UH press releases describing 150+ refugees per flight (israelrescue.org)
Publisher: ArtScroll / Mesorah Publications
Editorial Accountability
“Rabbi Nachman Seltzer spent months with Eli Beer, listening to his stories and writing them down.” — ArtScroll Blog, March 2023
Publisher Responsibility
ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications published 90 Seconds in 2023. The book was written by Rabbi Nachman Seltzer, a prolific ArtScroll ghostwriter whose previous titles include Incredible, Living Legend, and The Rebbetzin — all in the same inspirational hagiographic format. In an ArtScroll blog interview (March 2023), Seltzer confirmed he relied entirely on Eli Beer’s personal account, with no indication of independent fact-checking. The documented inaccuracies on this page — including a false cause of death for Dave Goldberg, a doubled Odessa-Kyiv distance, a misrepresented MDA court ruling, and a planeload count inconsistent with UH’s own data — were published without correction in a book distributed globally through ArtScroll’s network of Jewish bookstores, Amazon, and synagogue gift shops. ArtScroll has not issued any corrections or errata as of the date of this investigation.
Sources: ArtScroll Blog, “A Conversation with Rabbi Nachman Seltzer,” March 23, 2023 (blog.artscroll.com); Jeremy Stolow, Orthodox by Design (UC Press, 2010); ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications catalogue
Sources: 90 Seconds: The Epic Story of Eli Beer and United Hatzalah (ArtScroll/Mesorah, 2023); United Hatzalah official website; Tel Aviv District Court, Case 53398-07-18 (2021); American Heart Association CPR & ECC Guidelines; FDA approval records; Jerusalem Post; AFMDA.org press release (July 2022); NPR (June 2022); The New York Times (May 2015); PR Newswire (January 2022); MDA Israel official website (mdais.org).

The ZAKA Connection: A ₩1.3 Million Transfer and Missing Millions

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An internal audit by CPA Chaya Asch, leaked to Haaretz in June 2025, found that tens of millions donated to ZAKA from abroad never reached the organization's Israeli bank accounts. The OSINT dossier reviewed for this investigation additionally claims that United Hatzalah transferred ₩1.3 million directly to ZAKA with no service invoice — a claim that has not been independently verified by this investigation against a primary source and is presented as reported.

The ₩1.3 Million Transfer

An internal audit conducted by CPA Chaya Asch, and reported by Haaretz on June 12, 2025, documented serious financial irregularities within ZAKA itself. The OSINT dossier reviewed for this investigation additionally claims that United Hatzalah transferred ₩1.3 million directly to ZAKA following the October 7 attacks without a service invoice. This specific claim has not been independently verified by this investigation against a primary source; it is presented as reported and should be treated as unconfirmed pending direct access to the Chaya Asch audit document. The broader ZAKA financial irregularities documented by Haaretz are independently confirmed.

The audit's significance is compounded by the context. ZAKA raised at least $13.7 million (approximately ₩50 million) since October 7, but the Chaya Asch audit found that millions of those donations never reached ZAKA's Israeli bank accounts. A ZAKA official stated in internal correspondence: "At the organization in France, I know that funds are sent to all kinds of different accounts." The Times of Israel confirmed the findings on the same date as the Haaretz report.

The UH-ZAKA relationship is not new. In 2014, the Jerusalem Post reported that United Hatzalah and ZAKA signed a formal strategic operational unification agreement, creating what was described as "the largest first-response organization" in Israel. Under that arrangement, UH provides the medical fleet and ZAKA provides forensic and religious recovery authority. The ₩1.3 million transfer in 2023 occurred within that established institutional relationship.

The New ZAKA France Entity

A brand-new ZAKA entity was registered in France on February 15, 2024 — during the peak of the post-October 7 fundraising period. The new entity (SIREN 924 702 780, "Association ZAKA") is distinct from the pre-existing French representation office (SIREN 924 450 828, "Bureau de Representation de Zaka Pour L'Europe"), which had been operating since 2005. Money sent to the new entity would not appear in the 2023 audit reports of the old entity. The new entity is verifiable through the French government's official business registry at annuaire-entreprises.data.gouv.fr.

The former ZAKA president, Eyal Mashiach, resigned in protest over what he described as a lack of transparency within the organization. His resignation triggered the internal audit by CPA Chaya Asch. The ZAKA board, as registered with the Israeli Corporations Authority (Amuta 580307379), includes CEO Dov Weissenshtern and CFO Israel Lior Gabbai, who also serves as CEO of Naot Margalit, a company connected to the Shas political party.

The Double-Funding Question

The OSINT dossier compiled from public records raises a structural question about how donor funds and government reimbursements interact across the UH network. The documented pattern is as follows: donor funds from the US, UK, France, and Switzerland are used to purchase ambulances, which enter Israel tax-free under Customs Protocol 90A as "donated goods from an international body." The Israeli government then pays United Hatzalah to operate those same ambulances under Ministry of Health Tenders 112/2023 and 09/2026. If accurate, this means the same vehicle is funded twice — once by donors for purchase, and once by Israeli taxpayers for operation. The public record does not contain a document that definitively confirms or denies this arrangement, but the structural conditions for it are documented in public procurement records.

ZAKA Fund Flow Summary
UH transfer to ZAKA: ₩1.3 million (reported; not independently verified by this investigation)
ZAKA total raised (post-Oct 7): ~$13.7M (approx. ₩50M)
Status of funds: Millions unaccounted for in Israeli accounts
New France entity: SIREN 924 702 780, registered Feb 15, 2024
Old France entity: SIREN 924 450 828 (since 2005)
UK entity: British Friends of ZAKA, Charity 1099639
Auditor: CPA Chaya Asch (internal audit)
Sources: Haaretz (June 12, 2025); Times of Israel (June 12, 2025)

International Fund Flow Map

LocationActivityStatus
Israel₩1.3M transfer UH → ZAKA (no service invoice)Reported (unverified)
PortugalAmbulances purchased from Auto Ribeiro (cash → physical assets)Documented
FranceFunds sent to "unknown accounts" — never reached IsraelInternal audit finding
UK₩8M Abramovich donation blocked by bank (sanctions)Reported
"At the organization in France, I know that funds are sent to all kinds of different accounts."
ZAKA official, internal correspondence, as reported by Haaretz, June 12, 2025

From Charity to Military Logistics Partner: The Portugal Fleet

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In August 2025, United Hatzalah signed a contract for 100 new ambulances from Portuguese manufacturer Auto Ribeiro. The vehicles are equipped with military-grade communications technology and are being stationed in Israel's northern and southern border regions for use in "war scenarios."

The Auto Ribeiro Contract

In August 2025, United Hatzalah finalized a deal with Auto Ribeiro, Lda. (Portuguese registration NIF 516582372) for 100 new ambulances. The deal was reportedly concluded after a rapid 24-hour visit by the manufacturer's management to UH headquarters in Jerusalem. The vehicles are being stationed in Israel's northern and southern regions — the border zones most exposed to potential military conflict — and are equipped with Elbit Systems and Carbyne C4I communications technology, enabling them to function as mobile command centers linked directly to IDF medical units during combat operations.

The vehicles enter Israel through Ashdod Port under Customs Protocol 90A, classified as "donated goods from an international body." This classification exempts them from standard commercial import tariffs. The Israeli Ministry of Finance's public document on customs exemption codes (ExemptCustomsItems.pdf) lists the statutory categories under which such exemptions apply. Depending on whether the cargo is classified as a medical or security asset, clearance can come from either the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Defense — giving the organization two pathways to tax-free import that standard commercial operators do not have.

In September 2024, United Hatzalah announced that 31 new ambulances had been released from Ashdod Port and deployed nationally. That announcement was made by the Israel Rescue Coalition (EIN 47-4056881), one of UH's US-based fundraising entities — suggesting that at least some of those vehicles were funded by US tax-deductible donations. The public record does not contain a document confirming whether those donor-funded vehicles are also being operated under Ministry of Health reimbursement tenders.

Direct Military Transfers

United Hatzalah has established a documented precedent of transferring ambulances directly to the Israeli military. In October 2023, the organization delivered five fully-equipped ambulances to an IDF military base, handing the keys to the IDF Medical Corps for front-line use. The organization then replaced those donated military units by purchasing new ones through private donors — effectively acting as a private supply chain for the IDF that bypasses normal state procurement processes.

In May 2025, the IDF began receiving 20 advanced "Tigerbulance" armored ambulances, built on Ford F-550 chassis and armored by companies including Plasan. United Hatzalah operates similar armored units in high-risk areas under Protocol 90A "Security Cluster" status, which authorizes access to police and military sterile zones that MDA's standard fleet cannot enter.

The Governance Behind the Expansion

The governance of United Hatzalah's international operations reflects a network that extends well beyond a volunteer medical charity. The international board includes Mark Gerson (Chairman), co-founder of GLG and a US investor; former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman; Ygal Abergel (Switzerland); and Laurence Ainouz (France). Eli Beer draws total compensation of $688,791 per year from the US entity ($557,705 base plus $131,086 other); Michael Littenberg-Brown, the international CEO, draws $512,751 total ($499,008 base plus $13,743 other). Both figures are from the 2024 Form 990, Part VII. The Israeli domestic board (Vaad) includes Dr. Efrat Baron Harlev, CEO of Schneider Children's Medical Center; Prof. Ehud Davidson, former CEO of Clalit Health Services; and Yaron Carni, a venture capitalist at Maverick Ventures.

This is not the governance structure of a small volunteer organization. It is the structure of a sophisticated operation with defense-connected donors, former government officials, and financial industry executives directing an organization that now has a documented role in military logistics alongside its civilian emergency response function.

Portugal Fleet Summary
Manufacturer: Auto Ribeiro, Lda. (Portugal, NIF 516582372)
Quantity: 100 ambulances (Aug 2025 contract)
Deployment: North and South Israel border regions
Technology: Elbit Systems + Carbyne C4I communications
Import route: Ashdod Port, Customs Protocol 90A (tax-free)
Military transfers: 5 ambulances donated directly to IDF (Oct 2023)
Armored units: "Tigerbulance" (Ford F-550 + Plasan armor)

Fleet Comparison

FeaturePortugal FleetMilitary Fleet
OriginCommercial (Portugal)Tactical (Israel/US)
TechnologyMedical + C4I CommsBallistic Armor + Off-road
Military UseBorder/War ScenariosDeep Evacuation Under Fire
Legal StatusMoH Tender 112/2023Auxiliary to IDF Medical Corps

The Carbyne Question: Who Owns Your Emergency Call Data?

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In August 2024, United Hatzalah migrated its emergency dispatch system to the Carbyne APEX cloud platform. Carbyne was co-founded by former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and acquired by Axon for $625 million in 2025. The platform routes caller video, GPS location, and device data to servers in the European Union — outside Israeli state control.

The Carbyne Platform

United Hatzalah publicly announced its migration to the Carbyne APEX cloud platform in August 2024, describing it as the organization's first move to cloud-based dispatch. Carbyne's platform enables live video streaming, real-time GPS location tracking, and device metadata collection from callers at the moment they contact emergency services. A verified Carbyne business WhatsApp message sent to a United Hatzalah responder on August 27, 2024 confirmed the integration, instructing the responder to "click the link to enable sending video and location to United Hatzalah."

Carbyne was co-founded by Eli Beer alongside former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak (who served as chairman) and CEO Amir Elichai. Beer's dual role — as CEO of United Hatzalah and as a co-founder of the technology vendor that UH contracted for its emergency dispatch system — represents a direct conflict of interest that has not been publicly disclosed in UH's donor-facing materials. Brigadier General (Ret.) Pinhas Buchris — former commander of Unit 8200, Israel's elite signals intelligence unit, and former Director-General of the Ministry of Defense — sits on Carbyne's board. Buchris was the individual who brought Barak into the company as investor and chairman during his tenure under Barak as Defense Minister. Carbyne CEO Amir Elichai received early backing from Peter Thiel's Founders Fund. In February 2026, Forbes reported that former Prime Minister Ehud Barak helped Jeffrey Epstein secretly invest $1 million in Carbyne (then operating as "Reporty") in 2015, prior to Barak's formal appointment as chairman. In 2025, global public safety conglomerate Axon acquired Carbyne for $625 million.

The privacy implications are significant. When an Israeli citizen calls 101 (MDA's national emergency line), their data is protected by Israeli law and remains under state control. When they call 1221 (United Hatzalah's line), their live video, GPS coordinates, and device metadata are routed to AWS servers in the EU (AWS-EU-Central-1) and stored in a vendor-controlled private storage bucket. The data is not classified as protected health information under Israeli law in this context, and the oversight body is the UH amutah board — not a government regulator. Carbyne's own product documentation and UH's published privacy policy confirm this architecture.

The Political Dimension

The 1221 dispatch number has been a point of contention between United Hatzalah and Israeli health authorities for years. The Ministry of Health has consistently directed UH to route emergency calls through the national 101 system to avoid confusion and dispatch delays. The Tel Aviv District Court's 2021 ruling specifically found that UH's continued advertising of 1221 as an emergency number was "dangerous and harms public safety." Despite this, UH fought in court to retain the number and ultimately prevailed when the Ministry of Communications allowed it to remain active.

As of May 2026, the Israeli government is fast-tracking a law to unify the 101 and 1221 dispatch centers into a single system. The bill has received unanimous ministerial approval and is moving through the Knesset for final readings. Critics of the bill note that it would legally force MDA to share its proprietary real-time emergency data with a private NGO — one that a court already found had conducted "an orderly and planned campaign to slander and libel MDA." Shas MK Yinon Azoulay, a former head of the United Hatzalah branch in the Lakhish region, has been a consistent voice in Knesset committee discussions supporting UH's position. Official Knesset committee protocols record him stating: "When I arrive, I arrive with the MIRS [radio] of United Hatzalah as a volunteer of United Hatzalah."

Carbyne Key Facts
Platform: Carbyne APEX (cloud dispatch)
UH migration: August 2024
Co-founders: Eli Beer (UH CEO), Ehud Barak (former PM, Chairman), Amir Elichai (CEO)
Board member: Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Pinhas Buchris (former Unit 8200 commander)
Acquired by: Axon, for $625M (2025)
Data routing: AWS-EU-Central-1 (EU servers)
Oversight: UH amutah board only (no government regulator)

Privacy Comparison: 101 vs. 1221

CapabilityMDA (101)UH (1221)
Share caller video with tech vendorsProhibited by lawPermitted (commercial contract)
Store data on foreign cloud serversProhibited (sovereignty)Permitted (AWS-EU)
Regulatory oversight of dataMinistry of Health + Privacy AuthorityInternal amutah board only

The Resilience Gambit: Government Grants and the MDA Funding Gap

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While United Hatzalah raises hundreds of millions from private donors abroad, it has simultaneously captured Israeli government funding through a "psychotrauma and community resilience" budget line that bypasses the legal protections that restrict state funding of MDA's competitors.

The Budget Architecture

The Israeli Open Budget Portal documents two budget nodes that are central to understanding how United Hatzalah receives government support. Budget Node 24.20.03.11 covers "Psychotrauma and Community Resilience" (known in Hebrew as "Hosen"). Budget Node 23.01.01.03 covers joint ventures under the Ministry of Religious Services. United Hatzalah created a dedicated "Hosen Unit" specifically to qualify for the resilience budget line — a strategic move that allows it to receive government funds through a channel that does not trigger the legal restrictions that apply to direct emergency medical service funding.

The contrast with MDA is stark. MDA (Magen David Adom) is Israel's statutory national emergency medical service, operating under a dedicated law. Its total annual operating cost is approximately ₩1.2 billion, according to Calcalist reporting from March 2025. Of that, the government contributes approximately ₩120 million — about 10 percent. The remainder is funded through patient charges (approximately ₩800 per ambulance ride) and private donations. MDA Director Eli Bin stated publicly in March 2024 that MDA "doesn't appear in the budget" in the way a national service should.

United Hatzalah, by contrast, reported total annual revenue of ₩573 million in 2024, of which approximately ₩270 million came from foreign donations (primarily the US). The organization receives government "resilience" grants and Ministry of Health reimbursements under Tenders 112/2023 and 09/2026, while simultaneously importing its fleet tax-free under Customs Protocol 90A. The competitor has access to multiple public funding channels that the national service does not.

The Israelife Foundation and Corporate Network

All of United Hatzalah's Israeli entities operate from the same address: Yirmiyahu 78, Jerusalem. The network includes the primary United Hatzalah Israel amutah (580465979, reporting ₩573 million in annual revenue), the Israelife Foundation (580466118, reporting only ₩369,720 in revenue and flagged for potential liquidation in 2023), and Nochah/SAHI (580485233), a welfare arm. When the Israelife Foundation was flagged by the Registrar of Amutot for potential liquidation — due to reporting discrepancies or a lapse in its "Proper Management" certificate — operations were transferred to the primary United Hatzalah entity, which maintained its certificate. The pattern documented in public filings is one of multiple entities at the same address, with activities shifting between them based on which entity holds the required government compliance status at any given time.

The US entity, Friends of United Hatzalah Inc. (EIN 11-3533002), holds over $90.6 million in total assets, including $66 million in "Restricted Net Assets" that sit on the balance sheet as unallocated assets. Between 2023 and 2025, restricted net assets grew from ₩29 million to ₩274 million — a ninefold increase. This money is legally designated for future use but functions in practice as a private endowment, earning interest while MDA struggles to cover basic operational costs.

UH Financial Snapshot (2024)
Total annual revenue: ₩573,175,731
Foreign donations (mostly USA): ₩270,577,447
CEO annual salary: ₩581,302
Registered volunteers: 8,015
US entity total assets: $90.6M
US entity restricted funds: $66M (unallocated)
Sources: Israeli Guidestar (580465979); ProPublica (EIN 11-3533002)

MDA vs. UH: Funding Comparison

MetricMDA (National Service)UH (Private NGO)
Annual operating cost∼₩1.2 billion₩573 million
Government contribution∼₩120M (~10%)Multiple channels (resilience grants + tenders)
Tax-free fleet importStandard commercial ratesProtocol 90A exemption
Data privacy oversightMinistry of Health + Privacy AuthorityInternal amutah board only

₩573 Million in Revenue, Volunteers Asking for Grocery Money

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Internal WhatsApp communications obtained by researchers show United Hatzalah volunteers and their families in financial distress — unable to feed children or pay rent — while the organization's executives earn half a million shekels (₩) annually and the US entity holds $66 million in unallocated restricted funds.

The internal communications, which circulated in WhatsApp groups connected to United Hatzalah's volunteer network in early 2026, document a stark contrast between the organization's financial scale and the welfare of the volunteers who provide its frontline services. In one exchange, a message to Prof. Ehud Davidson (UH's CEO) describes a volunteer family with five children aged one to eleven in extreme poverty, requesting ₩3,500 for groceries and ₩1,500 for childcare to survive the month. A follow-up message states: "The children eat bread for days just to stop the hunger. This month they didn't pay rent or babysitter. The single salary goes immediately to credit debt."

A separate WhatsApp group, described as a "Family of Kindness" welfare channel, shows an administrator identified as N. Y. fundraising for seven Jerusalem volunteer families who cannot afford holiday groceries. Eli Beer's own WhatsApp channel promoted a parallel welfare entity, Chasdei HaMatzilim (580652576), with an annual budget of only ₩1.1 million — a fraction of a percent of the organization's ₩573 million annual revenue.

The women's volunteer unit presents a similar picture. Internal branch reports from January and February 2026 show only 12 to 43 active women volunteers in the unit at any given time, with most handling fewer than four cases per month. Separately, a volunteer identified as Rebecca H. complained in the same period that the dispatch app had stopped working: "Telegram was canceled and if there is an incident and I arrived 5 seconds late then I have no idea what the incident is because it is not listed anywhere." Another message describes the replacement app as one that "in reality doesn't work at all." These operational failures occurred while the organization was publicly raising millions for its women's emergency response programs, including the IMAH initiative and a Sandberg-funded women's unit.

The top five salaries at United Hatzalah in 2024, as disclosed in the Israeli Corporations Authority filing, ranged from ₩476,837 to ₩581,302 annually. The CEO's compensation of ₩581,302 is approximately 167 times the monthly grocery request made on behalf of the volunteer family described above. The organization's US entity paid Eli Beer a total of $688,791 in 2024 ($557,705 base salary plus $131,086 in other compensation) and Michael Littenberg-Brown a total of $512,751 ($499,008 base plus $13,743 other). These figures are drawn from Part VII of the 2024 Form 990 public disclosure copy. In 2023, Beer received $542,800 total and Littenberg-Brown received $476,896 total.

Top 5 UH Salaries (2024)
CEO (מנכ″ל): ₩581,302
Unit Manager (Masokim): ₩578,098
Resources: ₩507,994
Marketing Manager: ₩486,102
Resources: ₩476,837
Source: Israeli Corporations Authority, Amuta 580465979 (2024 filing)
US Entity — Beer total (2024): $688,791
US Entity — Brown total (2024): $512,751
US Entity — David total (2024): $323,175
Source: IRS Form 990, Part VII (2024 public disclosure copy)
Women's Unit Dispatch Failure
Internal WhatsApp messages (Feb 2026) show the volunteer dispatch app was broken, with volunteers unable to receive incident alerts. The replacement app "in reality doesn't work at all." This occurred while millions were being raised for women's emergency response programs.
📄
Welfare Fund vs. Revenue
Chasdei HaMatzilim (580652576), the welfare entity promoted by Eli Beer for volunteer families in need, has an annual budget of only ₩1.1 million — 0.19% of UH's ₩573 million annual revenue.

The Swiss Intermediary: Big Fish Advisory and the Geneva Node

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United Hatzalah Switzerland (CHE-278.177.157) is registered at Rue Vallin 2, Geneva — inside the offices of Big Fish Advisory Sàrl, a private financial advisory firm. The president of the Swiss entity is also the signatory on the US Form 990 that reported $132 million in disbursements. Swiss nonprofit law does not require public financial disclosure below certain thresholds.

The Geneva Commercial Registry records that United Hatzalah Switzerland is domiciled at the address of Big Fish Advisory Sàrl, a private financial advisory company. The three individuals who govern the Swiss entity are: Michael Littenberg-Brown (President, with individual signature authority), who is also the signatory on the US IRS Form 990 that reported $132 million in disbursements to Israel in 2023; Yoaf Yoel Perez (Vice-President and Treasurer), who is simultaneously a Director of Big Fish Advisory Sàrl — the firm that hosts the charity; and John Argi (Secretary), who is Co-Head of Alternative Investments at UBP (Union Bancaire Privée), one of Switzerland's largest private banks.

Swiss nonprofit law does not require organizations below certain size thresholds to publish financial statements. This means that the Swiss entity's income, expenditures, and fund flows are not publicly verifiable through any accessible registry. The OSINT dossier notes that this structure creates a situation where cash routed through Switzerland is "legally scrubbed" of US IRS public disclosure requirements — though it is important to note that the public record does not contain bank statements, wire confirmations, or audited Swiss balance sheets that would confirm or deny specific fund routing claims. The governance structure is documented; the financial flows through it are not.

The concentration of roles is notable: the same individual (Littenberg-Brown) signs the US Form 990 as the American entity's authorized officer and serves as president of the Swiss entity. The Swiss entity is hosted inside the offices of a firm whose director (Perez) also serves as the Swiss charity's treasurer. The Swiss entity's secretary (Argi) is a senior executive at a major Swiss private bank. Whether these relationships reflect standard Swiss nonprofit governance practice or something more structurally significant is a question that cannot be answered from publicly available records alone.

The OSINT dossier also identifies United Hatzalah Portugal (NIF 516582372) and United Hatzalah France (W751225617 / SIREN 804519973) as additional nodes in the international network. The France entity's registration number is publicly verifiable; its financial filings are not publicly accessible. The Portugal entity is the counterpart to the Auto Ribeiro ambulance contract. Together, these entities form a network of at least seven registered organizations across six countries, with varying degrees of public financial transparency.

UH Switzerland Governance
Registration: CHE-278.177.157
Address: Rue Vallin 2, c/o Big Fish Advisory Sàrl, 1201 Genève
President: Michael Littenberg-Brown (also signs US Form 990)
VP/Treasurer: Yoaf Yoel Perez (also Director, Big Fish Advisory Sàrl)
Secretary: John Argi (Co-Head, Alternative Investments, UBP private bank)
Financial disclosure: Not publicly required below Swiss threshold
Source: Geneva Commercial Registry (app2.ge.ch)

Complete Registered Entity Network

EntityRegistrationCountryFilings Public?
United Hatzalah Israel580465979IsraelYes (Guidestar)
Friends of UH Inc.EIN 11-3533002USAYes (IRS Form 990)
Israel Rescue CoalitionEIN 47-4056881USAYes (IRS Form 990)
British Friends of UHCharity 1101329UKYes (Charity Commission)
UH SwitzerlandCHE-278.177.157SwitzerlandNot below threshold
UH PortugalNIF 516582372PortugalLimited
UH FranceSIREN 804519973FranceNot confirmed
Israelife Foundation580466118IsraelYes (flagged for liquidation)
NEW

Political Ties & Governance Concerns

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Documented questions about political relationships, internal conduct, and potential conflicts of interest.

The Likud Recruitment Scandal

Shomrim News reported on February 24, 2025, that hundreds of United Hatzalah volunteers were recruited to register as Likud party members in order to strengthen the position of MK Idit Silman, described in the reporting as "a friend of the organisation who promotes United Hatzalah's interests." A special headquarters was reportedly established within Likud for this purpose. The report was subsequently confirmed by Mako/Channel 12 on August 23, 2025. The political significance is direct: MK Silman sits on the Knesset Health Committee, which has jurisdiction over the unified dispatch legislation that would require UH to fully integrate with MDA's 101 system.

Sources: Shomrim News (Feb 24, 2025) — shomrim.news/hebrew/hatzalahe-likud; Mako/Channel 12 (Aug 23, 2025).

The Shas Revolving Door

MK Yinon Azoulay (Shas) is a former head of the United Hatzalah branch in the Lakhish region. When the Ministry of Health has attempted to advance "Unified Dispatch" legislation — which would require UH to operate within MDA's national dispatch framework — Shas members of the Knesset Health Committee have blocked the bills, publicly claiming the legislation "harms volunteers." The Mashriki Amendment (Bill P/4981/25), approved by the Health Committee in 2026, legally validated UH's "Independent Server Architecture" with only a "Technological Bridge" to MDA rather than full integration. Technical audits cited in the dossier show a 30-percent or higher "double booking" rate as a result of the parallel dispatch systems.

Sources: Knesset Health Committee protocols (Bill P/4981/25); MOH Circular MK05-2017; OSINT dossier.

Sexual Harassment Cover-Up (Reported)

Shomrim News reported in June 2025 that a senior United Hatzalah employee remained in their role through three separate complaints over a four-year period. The employee was removed only after a victim stepped forward publicly. United Hatzalah has not issued a public statement on the matter. The Shomrim report is the primary source; the organisation's internal handling of the complaints has not been independently verified from public records.

Source: Shomrim News (June 2025) — shomrim.news/hebrew/hatzalah-sexual-harassment.

Beer Realty: A Potential Conflict of Interest

Eli Beer, founder and president of United Hatzalah, simultaneously operates Beer Realty, a private real estate company based in Jerusalem. United Hatzalah's own Guidestar filing (Amuta 580465979) discloses that the organisation has received land allocations from local authorities "without consideration" — meaning at no cost. No public audit has examined whether organisational resources, volunteer networks, or political relationships connected to UH benefit Beer's private real estate interests. The question has not been addressed in any public filing or statement by the organisation.

Sources: Israeli Corporations Authority (Guidestar) — Amuta 580465979; public search records.

The Dispatch Delay: No Legal Time Limit

The Mashriki Amendment (Bill P/4981/25) permits United Hatzalah to hold emergency call data from its 1221 line before transmitting it to MDA's 101 national dispatch system. Critically, the law does not define a "reasonable timeframe" for the transfer — meaning there is no statutory limit on how long UH can retain the data before MDA receives it. Official records from the State Comptroller, MOH Director-General Circular MK05-2017, and Knesset Health Committee protocols confirm that data transfer from 1221 to 101 has been delayed or incomplete since 2017. UH dispatches its own responders from 1221 data before MDA even receives the call information.

Sources: State Comptroller Report; MOH Director-General Circular MK05-2017; Knesset Health Committee protocols (Bill P/4981/25).

MDA Erased from Community Awareness

Community organisations in Jerusalem have been documented distributing materials listing 1221 (United Hatzalah) as the emergency medical number while completely omitting 101 (MDA) — Israel's official national emergency medical dispatch. One such flyer lists: Police 100, Fire 102, Hatzalah 1221. MDA's 101 line does not appear. The 2017 MOH Director-General circular explicitly requires UH to cease public advertising of its 1221 dispatch hotline so that emergency calls are directed to MDA's 101 system. The flyer evidence suggests that directive is not being followed at the community level.

Source: Screenshot evidence (OSINT dossier, 2026); MOH Director-General Circular MK05-2017.

BREAKING: Ministry of Health Tender 09/2026

The Ministry of Health published Tender 09/2026 — "For providing ambulance evacuation services for the Ministry of Health" — opening to competition a contract that has historically been MDA's exclusive domain: ambulance patient transport. Submissions closed April 30, 2026. The winner has not yet been publicly announced as of the date of this publication.

If United Hatzalah were to win this tender, it would represent a structural shift in Israel's emergency medical services framework: a private organisation, funded substantially by US tax-deductible donations and government resilience grants, would hold the government contract for ambulance transport that was previously the exclusive statutory right of the national service.

Also confirmed: Tender 112/2023 (a supplementary tender published October 12, 2023) already opened a portion of private ambulance services to competition, establishing the regulatory precedent that Tender 09/2026 now extends.

Sources: gov.il/he/pages/m09-2026; Ministry of Health Tender 112/2023 (12.10.2023).

Women's Unit: Fundraising vs. Operational Reality

Internal WhatsApp communications from United Hatzalah's women's volunteer unit, dated February 2026, document a broken dispatch application that prevented volunteers from receiving incident alerts. One volunteer wrote: "Telegram was cancelled and if there is an incident and I arrived 5 seconds late then I have no idea what the incident is because it is not listed anywhere?" Another described the replacement app as one that "in reality doesn't work at all," despite being told the issue could not be resolved for "security reasons." Branch statistics from the same period show between 12 and 43 active women volunteers, with most handling fewer than four cases per month. The organisation simultaneously raises funds externally for women's emergency response programmes, including the IMAH initiative and a Sandberg-linked programme. The gap between the fundraising narrative and the documented operational figures raises questions about programme-level financial reporting.

Sources: Internal UH branch WhatsApp communications (Feb 2026); OSINT dossier.

Restricted Net Assets: ₪29M to ₪274M

Between 2023 and 2025, United Hatzalah reclassified a substantial portion of its donations as "Restricted Net Assets" — treating emergency donations not as operational cash (which must be spent and audited against specific programmes) but as restricted capital that sits on the balance sheet designated for future use. The result: restricted funds grew from approximately ₪29 million to ₪274 million, a ninefold increase. This money is legally designated for future use but effectively functions as a private endowment fund, earning interest while MDA reports difficulty covering basic operational costs. The mechanism is verifiable through the 2024 Form 990, Schedule D, Parts XI and XII, available at israelrescue.org.

Source: 2024 Form 990, Schedule D (israelrescue.org); ProPublica EIN 11-3533002.

Private Business Interests

An SEC-registered Form ADV filed on 31 March 2025 discloses that Eli Beer, operating through a company called Eternal Realty Inc., is a named paid marketer for a private venture capital fund co-managed by Yaron Carni — a member of United Hatzalah's boards in both the United States and Israel.

Eli Beer — Gindi Equities

Beer is listed as a Partner at Gindi Equities, a New York-based multifamily real estate investment firm. His biography on the Gindi Equities website describes him as managing "the family real estate company, Beer Realty." His TEDMED speaker profile confirms the same.

Eternal Realty Inc. — SEC Form ADV

The Form ADV filed by Maverick Ventures GP Ltd. (CRD 309959) with the SEC on 31 March 2025 names ELI BEER / ETERNAL REALTY INC. as a paid marketer (placement agent / solicitor) for Maverick Ventures (Israel) II, L.P., a Cayman Islands-registered private equity fund with gross assets of $54,541,000 and approximately 170 investors.

Yaron Carni — Dual Role

Yaron Carni is a co-owner and director of Maverick Ventures Israel, the fund manager. He simultaneously serves on the board of United Hatzalah of Israel (the Israeli amutah) and on the Friends of United Hatzalah Inc. board in the United States. Maverick Ventures' own website states he "sits on the board of United Hatzalah."

The Structural Question

Eli Beer is the President and CEO of United Hatzalah. Yaron Carni is a fiduciary board member of both the US and Israeli entities. The Form ADV discloses that Beer's private company is a paid solicitor for a fund managed by Carni. Neither the US nor Israeli entity's public disclosures address this relationship.

Maverick Ventures (Israel) II, L.P. — Fund Summary (Form ADV, 31 March 2025)

Field Disclosed Value Source
Fund name Maverick Ventures (Israel) II, L.P. Form ADV, Schedule D §7.B.(1)
Private fund ID 805-9200065164 Form ADV, Schedule D §7.B.(1)
Jurisdiction Cayman Islands Form ADV, Schedule D §7.B.(1)
Gross asset value $54,541,000 Form ADV, Schedule D §7.B.(1), Q.11
Minimum investment $100,000 Form ADV, Schedule D §7.B.(1), Q.12
Approximate number of investors 170 Form ADV, Schedule D §7.B.(1), Q.13
Non-US investors 55% Form ADV, Schedule D §7.B.(1), Q.16
Auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers, Tel Aviv Form ADV, Schedule D §7.B.(1), Q.23
Named marketer 1 ELI BEER / ETERNAL REALTY INC. (New York, NY) Form ADV, Schedule D §7.B.(1), Q.28
Named marketer 2 Laura Schwartz / LRS Investment Relations (Miami, FL) Form ADV, Schedule D §7.B.(1), Q.28
Filing date 31 March 2025 (Annual Amendment — All Sections) SEC IARD, CRD 309959

SEC Form ADV — Document Captures

The following images are reproduced directly from the Form ADV filed by Maverick Ventures GP Ltd. with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on 31 March 2025 (CRD No. 309959, SEC file No. 802-119735). The full filing is publicly available on the SEC's IARD system.

Page 1 — Cover / Firm Identification
Form ADV page 1 — Maverick Ventures Israel cover page showing CRD 309959 and filing date 3/31/2025
Primary business name: Maverick Ventures Israel. CRD No. 309959. Filed 3/31/2025. Principal office: 26 Nachmani Street, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Page 58 — Marketers Section: ELI BEER / ETERNAL REALTY INC.
Form ADV page 58 — Marketers section showing ELI BEER / ETERNAL REALTY INC. as named paid marketer for Maverick Ventures (Israel) II LP
Question 28(c): Name of the marketer: ELI BEER / ETERNAL REALTY INC. Location: New York, New York, United States. The fund discloses 2 marketers in total.
Page 59 — Second Marketer & Fund III Details
Form ADV page 59 — Second marketer Laura Schwartz / LRS Investment Relations and start of Maverick Ventures III section
Second marketer: Laura Schwartz / LRS Investment Relations, Miami, Florida. The filing also covers Maverick Ventures (Israel) III, L.P. (fund ID 805-6674841801).

"The Form ADV discloses, under penalty of federal law, that Eli Beer's private company Eternal Realty Inc. is a paid solicitor for a venture capital fund co-managed by a sitting United Hatzalah board member. Neither entity's public disclosures address this relationship."

— The Mael Review, April 2025

Questions Raised by the Disclosure

1. Compensation disclosure

Does Eli Beer receive compensation from Maverick Ventures (Israel) II, L.P. through Eternal Realty Inc.? If so, is this disclosed to the United Hatzalah boards on which Yaron Carni sits?

2. Donor overlap

Does the pool of United Hatzalah donors overlap with the pool of Maverick Ventures investors? If Beer solicits UH donors to invest in Carni's fund, does that create a conflict with his fiduciary duties to UH?

3. Board disclosure

Has Yaron Carni disclosed his business relationship with Beer's private company to the Friends of United Hatzalah Inc. board, and was any recusal or conflict-of-interest procedure followed?

4. Eternal Realty Inc.

Eternal Realty Inc. is not registered as an investment adviser or broker-dealer with the SEC or FINRA. Under what exemption does it act as a placement agent for a private fund?

Sources: SEC Form ADV, Maverick Ventures GP Ltd., CRD No. 309959, filed 31 March 2025 (SEC IARD); Gindi Equities website, Partner biography for Eli Beer; TEDMED speaker profile, Eli Beer; The Mael Review, "Questions in Orange, Dollars in Real Estate," April 2025; Maverick Ventures Israel website, Team page (Yaron Carni biography); United Hatzalah FAQ and International Board pages (israelrescue.org).

The Rechnitz Connection

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In October 2024, Floyd Mayweather visited United Hatzalah's Jerusalem headquarters for the second time that year, donating $100,000 to fund bulletproof vests for volunteers. He arrived alongside Jona Rechnitz, described in the organization's own press release as one of Mayweather's "close friends and business partners." Eli Beer greeted them personally and praised the visit publicly.

Rechnitz is not a peripheral figure. He pleaded guilty in 2016 to honest services wire fraud in the Southern District of New York. His underlying conduct included orchestrating a bribery scheme with Jeremy Reichberg in which senior NYPD officials received lavish gifts — travel, entertainment, and other benefits — in exchange for police favors including expedited gun licenses and parking ticket fixes. He also admitted to gathering illegal straw donations for then-Mayor Bill de Blasio's campaigns in exchange for access to City Hall.

Federal prosecutors described Rechnitz as "one of the single most important and prolific white collar cooperating witnesses in the recent history of the Southern District of New York." His testimony led to the conviction of former correction officers' union head Norman Seabrook and his former associate Jeremy Reichberg, who received 48 months in prison. Rechnitz was sentenced in December 2019 to five months in prison and five months of house arrest, and ordered to repay up to $10 million to the correction officers' union.

In court, Rechnitz told the judge: "I've been a real fraud. I've been a big hypocrite to my religion. I cannot stress, your honor, how ashamed I am." He acknowledged that he had gone "off the rails for a number of years" and apologized for what he called his "criminal and immoral behavior."

By 2024, Rechnitz had returned to his hometown of Los Angeles and pivoted to selling jewelry to celebrities, which is how his relationship with Mayweather developed. His appearance at United Hatzalah's headquarters, and his characterization as a "close friend" of Eli Beer in a video posted to social media, places a convicted federal felon in the organization's public-facing donor network. United Hatzalah has not commented on the relationship.

The visit also coincided with a period of heightened scrutiny of Mayweather's own business dealings. In 2026, Mayweather filed a lawsuit against Rechnitz alleging that Rechnitz had diverted more than $175 million from Mayweather's real estate ventures through unauthorized transactions — a claim that, if proven, would represent one of the largest alleged frauds ever committed against a professional athlete.

Eli Beer shaking hands with Floyd Mayweather at United Hatzalah headquarters in Jerusalem, October 2024. Jona Rechnitz was present at the same visit.
Eli Beer (left, Israeli flag patch) greets Floyd Mayweather at United Hatzalah's Jerusalem headquarters, October 2024. Convicted felon Jona Rechnitz accompanied Mayweather on the visit and is described as Beer's "close friend" in social media posts about the event. Photo: United Hatzalah / israelrescue.org
Key Facts
  • Rechnitz pleaded guilty to honest services wire fraud, SDNY, 2016
  • Sentenced December 2019: 5 months prison + 5 months house arrest
  • Ordered to repay up to $10M to correction officers' union
  • His testimony convicted NYPD-linked figures and union boss Norman Seabrook
  • Described as Beer's "close friend" in social media posts about the October 2024 UH visit
  • Mayweather sued Rechnitz in 2026 alleging $175M+ in alleged fraud

Sources: Politico, "Rechnitz sentenced to 5 months in prison," December 19, 2019; DOJ SDNY, "Jeremy Reichberg Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison," May 13, 2019; Arutz Sheva / Israel National News, "Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather donates 1000 bulletproof vests," October 29, 2024; The Mael Review, "United Hatzalah Chairman Accused MDA of Killing People," 2025; Instagram reel @jewishbreakingnews, November 2024 (Rechnitz describes Beer as "close friend"); The Real Deal, Jona Rechnitz tag page.

Key Events Timeline

1991
London Ambulance Service Motorcycle Unit Founded
The London Ambulance Service launches its Motorcycle Response Unit — 15 years before United Hatzalah is founded. Bikes carry the same equipment as ambulances, including defibrillators.
Late 2003
MDA Formally Establishes Israeli Motorcycle Unit
Magen David Adom's First Responder Motorcycle-Ambulance Unit is officially formed in Israel — three years before United Hatzalah's founding. MDA had used motorcycles informally since the 1930s.
2006
United Hatzalah Founded; "Ambucycle" Brand Introduced
Eli Beer merges more than 50 independent Hatzalah organizations to form United Hatzalah of Israel. The organization adopts motorcycle-based first response and brands the vehicles "ambucycles" — a new name for an established concept.
2007–2012
Weingarten Fraud Scheme Operates
Yaakov Weingarten runs 19 sham charities from a Brooklyn storefront, raising ~$2M while exploiting the names of legitimate Israeli organizations including United Hatzalah.
2014
Weingarten Convicted; $522K Judgment
NY State AG secures felony conviction and $522,315 civil judgment. United Hatzalah receives $180,000 as a victim. Weingarten permanently barred from charitable fundraising.
2021
Tel Aviv District Court Defamation Judgment
Court orders United Hatzalah to pay ₩250,000 to Magen David Adom. Eli Beer, Moti Elmaleh, and Moshe Teitelbaum ordered to pay from personal funds. Court finds UH ran a "coordinated plan to defame and libel" MDA and violated Ministry of Health directives.
2022
Chairman's Private Email
Chairman Mark Gerson sends private email accusing MDA's "power and ego" of costing lives, repeating claims already rejected by the court. When later confronted, Gerson says he does not recall the email.
Oct 7, 2023
Hamas-Led Attacks; Fundraising Surge
United Hatzalah volunteers respond to the attacks. Eli Beer begins making dramatic public claims at fundraising events. The US entity's annual revenue rises to $144.9M, up from $48.6M in 2022.
Jan 2024
Employee Arrested for Embezzlement
Jerusalem District Police arrest a United Hatzalah employee on suspicion of embezzling hundreds of thousands of shekels (₩) through fake invoices and fictitious accident reports. Charges include fraud, forgery, and money laundering.
Aug–Sept 2025
Investigative Reporting Published
Daniel Mael publishes "United Hatzalah's Global Puzzle" and related investigations, documenting the $54M+ discrepancy between US disbursements and Israeli revenue, the "100% volunteer" claim versus disclosed payroll, and the continued false claims about MDA.
Oct 2024
Eli Beer's Hotel Lobby Statement
Beer reportedly tells a group of UH donors in a hotel lobby that supporting MDA "equals killing people in Israel" — repeating claims rejected by courts and regulators.
Dec 2025
Broader Accountability Analysis
Mael reports that four US charities — Friends of the IDF, Friends of United Hatzalah, and two ZAKA entities — collectively reported ~$700M raised in 2023–2024 tax filings, with no independent oversight mechanism in place.
Aug 2024
UH Migrates to Carbyne APEX Cloud Dispatch
United Hatzalah migrates its 1221 emergency dispatch system to the Carbyne APEX cloud platform, routing caller video, GPS, and device data to AWS-EU-Central-1 servers. Carbyne was co-founded by former PM Ehud Barak and acquired by Axon for $625M in 2025.
Aug 2025
100-Ambulance Portugal Contract Signed
United Hatzalah signs a deal with Auto Ribeiro, Lda. (Portugal, NIF 516582372) for 100 new ambulances equipped with Elbit Systems and Carbyne C4I military communications technology. Vehicles to be deployed in northern and southern border regions for "war scenarios."
Jun 2025
ZAKA Internal Audit Leaked; ₩1.3M UH Transfer Revealed
Haaretz and Times of Israel report on an internal ZAKA audit by CPA Chaya Asch finding that millions raised post-October 7 never reached ZAKA's Israeli accounts. The OSINT dossier additionally claims a ₩1.3 million direct transfer from United Hatzalah to ZAKA with no service invoice (unverified by this investigation).
Early 2026
Volunteer Welfare Crisis Documented in Internal Messages
Internal WhatsApp communications show UH volunteer families unable to afford groceries or rent, while the organization holds ₩274 million in restricted net assets and pays its top five executives between ₩476,837 and ₩581,302 annually.
May 2026
Knesset Bill to Unify 101/1221 Dispatch Advances
The Israeli government fast-tracks legislation to merge MDA's 101 and UH's 1221 dispatch centers. Critics note the bill would legally require MDA to share proprietary real-time emergency data with a private NGO that a court found had run a "coordinated campaign to defame and libel" MDA.

Sources & Primary Documents

This investigation draws on publicly available primary documents, regulatory filings, court records, and published journalism. All factual claims are sourced below.

IRS Filing
Form 990 (2023) — Friends of United Hatzalah Inc.
Public disclosure copy filed with the IRS. Reports $132,788,535 in grants abroad (Schedule F, Part II). Verified against the public disclosure copy published at israelrescue.org and ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (EIN 11-3533002).
View Document →
IRS Filing
Form 990 (2024) — Friends of United Hatzalah Inc.
Public disclosure copy. Reports $26,222,619 in grants and $90.6M in total assets. Notes first-class travel and conflict-of-interest transactions.
View Document →
Nonprofit Database
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
Historical Form 990 data for Friends of United Hatzalah Inc. (EIN 11-3533002), including year-over-year revenue, expenses, and asset figures from 2011 to 2024.
View Profile →
Investigative Journalism
"United Hatzalah's Global Puzzle" — The Mael Review
Daniel Mael, August 27, 2025. Documents the $54M+ discrepancy between US disbursements and Israeli revenue, and raises questions about the Swiss entity and "United Hatzalah International."
Read Article →
Investigative Journalism
"The '100% Volunteer' Mirage" — The Mael Review
Daniel Mael, August 30, 2025. Examines the gap between UH's "100% volunteer" marketing and its disclosed payroll of $12M+ in Israel alone.
Read Article →
Investigative Journalism
"United Hatzalah Chairman Accused MDA of 'Killing People'" — The Mael Review
Daniel Mael, September 4, 2025. Documents Mark Gerson's continued false claims about MDA after the 2021 court judgment, and Eli Beer's October 2024 donor statements.
Read Article →
Investigative Journalism
"The Lie That 'Unity' Requires Silence" — The Mael Review
Daniel Mael, December 25, 2025. Reports that four US charities collectively raised ~$700M in 2023–2024 with no independent oversight, and examines the structural barriers to accountability in Jewish philanthropy.
Read Article →
Court Record
Tel Aviv District Court Defamation Ruling (2021)
42-page ruling ordering United Hatzalah to pay ₩250,000 to MDA. Finds UH conducted a "coordinated plan to defame and libel" MDA and violated Ministry of Health directives. Reported by AFMDA, July 29, 2021.
Read Report →
News Report
Jerusalem Post: "Israel Police arrests United Hatzalah worker in embezzlement scandal"
Jerusalem Post Staff, January 30, 2024. Reports the arrest of a UH employee on suspicion of embezzling hundreds of thousands of shekels (₩) through fake invoices and fictitious accident reports.
Read Article →
News Report
eJewishPhilanthropy: "Schneider Children's Medical Center and United Hatzalah to Benefit from Civil Judgment Against NYC Fundraiser"
July 24, 2014. Details the Yaakov Weingarten case: felony conviction, $522,315 civil judgment, and the 19 sham charities that exploited United Hatzalah's name.
Read Article →
Regulatory Filing
UK Charity Commission: British Friends of United Hatzalah Israel
Charity No. 1101329. Registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. 2024 income: £2,556,738; grants to Israel: £1,935,000. Audited accounts available via the Charity Commission register.
View Register Entry →
Investigative Journalism
"The Charity With the Good Branding and the Bad Math" — The Mael Review
Daniel Mael, March 26, 2026. Documents the ambucycle invention claim, the 1221 number controversy, inflated casualty statistics during Operation Roaring Lion, and the October 7 fabrications. States plainly that motorcycle ambulances predate United Hatzalah by decades.
Read Article →
Primary Source — EMS History
London Ambulance Service: Motorcycle Responder
Official NHS page confirming the London Ambulance Service Motorcycle Response Unit was launched in 1991 — 15 years before United Hatzalah's founding. Bikes carry the same life-saving equipment as ambulances.
View Source →
Primary Source — EMS History
American Friends of MDA: Medicycles
AFMDA confirms MDA first used motorcycles and bicycles for emergency calls in the 1930s. MDA's formal First Responder Motorcycle-Ambulance Unit was established in late 2003, three years before United Hatzalah was founded.
View Source →
Historical Record
"100 Years Ago: Motorcycle Ambulances in WW1" — The Vintagent
Documents British, French, and American military use of motorcycle ambulances during WWI (1914–1918), drawing on US National Archives photographs and records. Indian Powerplus and Harley-Davidson machines used by the US Army Ambulance Corps and Red Cross.
Read Article →
News Report
AFMDA: "MDA and Hatzalah Organizations Form Worldwide Emergency Medical Service Network"
American Friends of Magen David Adom, November 24, 2021. States that more than 20 Hatzalah organizations in Israel — except United Hatzalah — are fully integrated into MDA. Includes statement from Tzevet Hatzolah chairman Avraham Reichman.
Read Report →
News Report
Atlanta Jewish Times: "Paramedics Face Off Over Saving Lives"
Atlanta Jewish Times, January 16, 2019. Documents MDA's lawsuit against United Hatzalah for failure to comply with Ministry of Health directives, and the years-long competition between the two organizations.
Read Article →
Profile / Interview
Jewish Journal: "The Man Behind United Hatzalah"
Oren Peleg, Jewish Journal, February 20, 2019. Profiles Eli Beer and states the organization was "Founded by Beer in 1992" — a date inconsistent with UH's own regulatory filings and FAQ, which state 2006.
Read Article →
Organization Statement
United Hatzalah FAQ — Financial Explanations
United Hatzalah's official response to financial questions, including its explanation of the $144M figure and the restricted funds accounting treatment. Published on israelrescue.org.
View FAQ →
Investigative Report
Haaretz: "Israeli Emergency Medical Service Hired Private Detectives in Attempt to Defame Rival"
Haaretz, June 30, 2022. Documents United Hatzalah's hiring of Ya'ar Civil Investigations to surveil Ministry of Health officials Miri Cohen and David Azoulay. Draws on the court record in Case 53398-07-18 and police filings.
Read Article →
Investigative Report
Haaretz / Times of Israel: ZAKA Internal Audit — Millions Missing
Haaretz and Times of Israel, June 12, 2025. Reports on internal audit by CPA Chaya Asch finding that millions raised by ZAKA post-October 7 never reached Israeli accounts. The OSINT dossier additionally claims a ₩1.3M UH-to-ZAKA transfer (unverified by this investigation).
Read Article →
Corporate Registry
Geneva Commercial Registry: United Hatzalah Switzerland (CHE-278.177.157)
Official Swiss commercial registry entry for United Hatzalah Switzerland, registered at Rue Vallin 2, c/o Big Fish Advisory Sàrl, Geneva. Lists Michael Littenberg-Brown (President), Yoaf Yoel Perez (VP/Treasurer, also Director of Big Fish Advisory), and John Argi (Secretary, UBP private bank).
View Registry →
Technology Documentation
Carbyne APEX Platform — UH Integration (August 2024)
Carbyne's cloud dispatch platform, integrated by United Hatzalah in August 2024. Routes caller video, GPS, and device metadata to AWS-EU-Central-1 servers. Co-founded by former PM Ehud Barak; acquired by Axon for $625M in 2025. Board includes former Unit 8200 commander Pinhas Buchris.
View Platform →
Public Procurement
Israeli Ministry of Health Tenders 112/2023 and 09/2026
Israeli government procurement tenders under which United Hatzalah receives operational reimbursements for its ambulance fleet. Vehicles imported tax-free under Customs Protocol 90A. Raises structural question of whether the same vehicles are funded twice — once by donors and once by government.
View Procurement Portal →
Israeli Open Budget
Israeli Open Budget Portal — Psychotrauma and Resilience (Node 24.20.03.11)
Israeli government open budget data documenting the "Hosen" (resilience) budget line under which United Hatzalah receives government grants through a channel that bypasses restrictions on direct emergency medical service funding to MDA competitors.
View Budget Data →
United Hatzalah Canada — CRA T3010 Filing (2023)
Canada Revenue Agency charity return (BN 838255180RR0001). 2023 revenue: CAD $8,527,710, of which $4,367,162 received from other registered charities. Suggests a pass-through structure from the US entity. Available via CharityData.ca.
View CRA Data →
United Hatzalah Australia — ACNC Charity Register
Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ABN 79 595 289 716). Registered September 2022. Total revenue AUD $362,795 vs. expenses AUD $471,570 — operating at a deficit. Available via acnc.gov.au.
View ACNC Profile →
Friends of United Hatzalah Inc. — IRS Form 990 (2024)
Public disclosure copy for fiscal year 2024. Revenue: $78,998,344. Grants to Israel: $26,222,619 (down 80% from 2023). Net assets: $84,894,014. Flags: first-class travel (Schedule J); conflict-of-interest transactions (Schedule L). Published at israelrescue.org.
View 2024 Form 990 →

2024 Form 990: Key Findings

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Friends of United Hatzalah Inc. filed its 2024 Form 990 (EIN 11-3533002) with the IRS on November 15, 2025, covering the calendar year ending December 31, 2024. All figures below are drawn directly from the public disclosure copy published via ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer.

Total revenue fell sharply from the 2023 peak of $144.9 million to $79.0 million in 2024, a decline of approximately 45 percent. The 2023 figure was heavily inflated by post-October 7 emergency fundraising; the 2024 figure represents a return closer to the organization's pre-war baseline. Total expenses were $41.9 million, producing a surplus of $37.1 million and lifting net assets from $47.0 million at the start of the year to $84.9 million by year-end.

Grants disbursed to the Middle East and North Africa region (Israel) totalled $25.7 million in 2024, compared with $132.8 million in 2023. The dramatic reduction reflects both the lower overall revenue and the drawdown of restricted funds accumulated during the 2023 fundraising surge. Total grants including domestic disbursements were $26.2 million.

Eli Beer received $557,705 in reportable W-2 compensation from FOUH in 2024, plus $131,086 in other compensation, for a total package of $688,791. Michael Littenberg-Brown, Vice President, received $499,008 in reportable compensation plus $13,743 in other compensation.

The 2024 filing includes two Schedule L disclosures of business transactions with interested persons. FOUH invested $250,000 from its closed reserve fund in One CC Software Inc. (doing business as 3i Members), a company founded and chaired by board chairman Mark Gerson. Separately, FOUH contributed $322,431 to JSSI Aviation Capital Fund I, LP, a fund chaired by board member Neil Book. Both disclosures state that the relevant board members did not participate in the investment decisions and derive no personal financial benefit.

$79.0M
FOUH total revenue in 2024 (IRS Form 990)
$84.9M
FOUH net assets at end of 2024
$25.7M
Grants disbursed to Israel in 2024
$688,791
Total compensation paid to Eli Beer in 2024

2024 Form 990 Summary Financials

Line Item20242023Source
Total revenue$78,998,344$144,946,794Part VIII, line 12
Total expenses$41,907,446$145,827,389Part IX, line 25
Revenue less expenses$37,090,898-$880,595Part XI, line 3
Total assets (end of year)$90,646,990$96,829,376Part X, line 16
Total liabilities (end of year)$5,752,976$49,788,138Part X, line 26
Net assets (end of year)$84,894,014$47,041,238Part X, line 33
Grants to Israel (Schedule F)$25,708,619$132,788,535Schedule F, Part I
Fundraising expenses$6,581,537N/APart IX, line 25(D)
Eli Beer compensation (W-2)$557,705N/APart VII, line 1a
Eli Beer other compensation$131,086N/APart VII, line 1a

Schedule L: Business Transactions with Interested Persons (2024)

PersonRoleAmountDescriptionPersonal Benefit?
Mark Gerson Chairman of the Board $250,000 Investment from FOUH closed reserve fund into One CC Software Inc. (3i Members), of which Gerson is founder, board chair, and largest equity owner. Investment represents approx. 2.9% of total closed reserve as of 12/31/24. No (did not participate in decision)
Neil Book Board Member $322,431 Capital contributions to JSSI Aviation Capital Fund I, LP, of which Book is Chair, President, and CEO. No (did not participate in decision)

Source: IRS Form 990 (2024), EIN 11-3533002, filed November 15, 2025. Public disclosure copy via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.

The Contractor Network: $4.1 Million and Counting

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Each year, Friends of United Hatzalah Inc. (FOUH) is required to disclose its five highest-paid independent contractors on IRS Form 990, Part VII, Section B. A review of all available filings from FY2020 through FY2024 shows a consistent group of consulting firms — spread across Israel, Mexico, and Brooklyn — collecting a combined $4.07 million over five years. One of those firms is directed by FOUH's own former chief executive.

In FY2019, FOUH reported no independent contractors receiving over $100,000. Starting in FY2020, three firms appeared simultaneously: JAMMEN82 LLC (Newton, MA), Rescue Consulting & Developing Ltd (Beit Shemesh, Israel), and Peterborough SA de CV (Ciudad Satelite, Mexico). By FY2023, the list had expanded to five firms collecting a combined $1.08 million in a single year.

The most striking disclosure concerns Rescue Consulting & Developing Ltd, an Israeli company registered at Harashar Hirsch 6, Beit Shemesh. According to the Israeli Corporations Authority, the company's director and option holder is Moshe Teitelbaum — who served as CEO of United Hatzalah of Israel until approximately 2019 and is currently listed on israelrescue.org's team page as "President, Friends of United Hatzalah Israel." Between FY2020 and FY2024, Rescue Consulting received $1,094,331 from FOUH.

JAMMEN82 LLC is the highest-paid contractor across the five-year period, collecting $1,226,000. Its founder and principal is Gerrald (Jerry) B. Silverman, who served as President and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) from 2009 to 2019 — the same year the contractor payments began. Silverman currently serves as an independent director at Weis Markets and on the board of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

Peterborough SA de CV, a Mexican company registered in Ciudad Satelite, collected $939,503 over the five-year period. Its ownership has not been identified in publicly available records. Projecto Inc., a Brooklyn-based marketing firm at 5314 16th Avenue, appeared in FY2022 and collected $670,177 over three years. Eakins Ltd, an Israeli company at 26 Elifelet Street, Tel Aviv, appeared only in FY2023 for $140,000.

$4.07M
Total paid to top contractors, FY2020–FY2024 (combined)
$1.23M
Paid to JAMMEN82 LLC (Jerry Silverman, ex-JFNA CEO), highest of any contractor
$1.09M
Paid to Rescue Consulting & Developing Ltd (Moshe Teitelbaum, ex-UH CEO)
$1.22M
Combined total paid to two Israeli-registered firms (Rescue Consulting + Eakins Ltd)
Annual payments per contractor — FY2020 to FY2024 (USD)

Source: IRS Form 990, Part VII Section B, FY2020–FY2024. Friends of United Hatzalah Inc., EIN 11-3533002. All figures from public disclosure copies.

Five-Year Cumulative Totals (FY2020–FY2024)

Year-by-Year Contractor Payments

Contractor Location FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024 5-Year Total
Rescue Consulting & Developing Ltd Beit Shemesh, Israel $195,266 $222,090 $154,202 $273,182 $249,591 $1,094,331
JAMMEN82 LLC Newton, MA (USA) $198,000 $234,000 $216,000 $289,000 $289,000 $1,226,000
Peterborough SA de CV Ciudad Satelite, Mexico $131,180 $236,298 $140,862 $121,557 $309,606 $939,503
Projecto Inc. Brooklyn, NY (USA) $248,932 $259,348 $161,897 $670,177
Eakins Ltd Tel Aviv, Israel $140,000 $140,000
Pontis Partners LLC Brooklyn, NY (USA) $205,000 $205,000

— indicates the contractor did not appear in the top-5 list for that year. Pontis Partners LLC provides lobbying services (FY2024 only). All other contractors are described as providing consulting services.

Contractor Profiles

🇮🇱
Rescue Consulting & Developing Ltd
Harashar Hirsch 6, Beit Shemesh, Israel • Company No. 516092129
$1,094,331
Paid FY2020–FY2024
Director & Option Holder: Moshe Teitelbaum
Connection: Teitelbaum served as CEO of United Hatzalah of Israel until approximately 2019. He is currently listed on israelrescue.org as "President, Friends of United Hatzalah Israel."
Services described as: Development Consulting / Consulting Services
First appeared: FY2020 (the first year any contractor exceeded $100K) Conflict of interest flag: former CEO
🇺🇸
JAMMEN82 LLC
281 Park Street, Newton, MA 02458 (formerly Teaneck, NJ)
$1,226,000
Paid FY2020–FY2024 (highest total)
Founder & Principal: Gerrald (Jerry) B. Silverman
Background: Silverman served as President & CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) from 2009 to 2019. He founded JAMMEN82 LLC in 2019 — the same year the contractor payments to FOUH began. He currently serves as an independent director at Weis Markets (NYSE: WMK) and as a director at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
Services described as: Management Consulting
🇲🇽
Peterborough SA de CV
Circuito Oradores 16 Int A, Ciudad Satelite, Mexico
$939,503
Paid FY2020–FY2024
Ownership: Not identified in publicly available records
Services described as: Development Consulting / Consulting Services
Note: Peterborough became the single highest-paid contractor in FY2024 at $309,606, up from $121,557 in FY2023 — a 154% year-on-year increase.
🇺🇸
Projecto Inc.
5314 16th Avenue, Suite 156, Brooklyn, NY 11204
$670,177
Paid FY2022–FY2024
Ownership: Not identified in publicly available records
Website: usaprojecto.com (describes itself as an advertising and marketing agency that "began to grow in 2020")
Services described as: Consulting Services / Fundraising Consulting & Marketing
Address: Suite 156 at 5314 16th Ave is a shared mailbox address in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn.
🇮🇱
Eakins Ltd
26 Elifelet Street, Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Israel • Company No. 514024678
$140,000
Paid FY2023 only
Director: Oren Michael Scott — the legal name under which Ambassador Michael B. Oren (born Michael Scott Bornstein) is registered in the Israeli Corporations Authority. Oren served as Israel's Ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2013 and as a Knesset member from 2015 to 2019.
Connection to FOUH: Oren is listed as a member of United Hatzalah's Advisory Board on israelrescue.org and has appeared at multiple FOUH fundraising events in the US and Canada. The Technion describes him as having “served as an adviser to United Hatzalah” since leaving public office.
Founded: September 3, 2007
Status: Active (last annual report filed 2025)
Services described as: Consulting Services
Note: Appeared on the contractor list in FY2023 only; did not appear in FY2024. FOUH paid $140,000 to Eakins Ltd in the same year Oren was publicly serving as an adviser and Advisory Board member of the organization. Conflict of interest flag: sitting Advisory Board member
🇺🇸
Pontis Partners LLC
265 State Street, Apt. 1007, Brooklyn, NY 11201
$205,000
Paid FY2024 only
Ownership: Not identified in publicly available records
Services described as: Lobbying Services
Note: The only contractor on the list explicitly engaged for lobbying. Appeared for the first time in FY2024. The address is a residential apartment in Brooklyn Heights.

Sources: IRS Form 990, Part VII Section B, FY2020–FY2024, Friends of United Hatzalah Inc. (EIN 11-3533002). Public disclosure copies via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and israelrescue.org. Israeli company data: Israeli Corporations Authority (Guidestar Israel / CheckID). JAMMEN82 LLC principal: Camp Ramah Executive Committee biography; MarketScreener insider profile. Rescue Consulting director: CheckID Israeli registry, company no. 516092129. Moshe Teitelbaum current role: israelrescue.org/our-team.

Seven Years of Financial Data: What the Israeli Registry Shows

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Israel's nonprofit registry (Guidestar Israel, administered by the Ministry of Justice) requires United Hatzalah's Israeli amuta (Amuta 580465979) to file annual financial reports. A review of all available filings from 2018 to 2024 reveals a pattern of rapid revenue growth, an extraordinary and unexplained 2024 surplus, and several year-on-year anomalies that have not been publicly addressed by the organization.

Annual Revenue, Expenses & Surplus (ILS ₩) — 2018–2024

Year Total Revenue (₩) Total Expenses (₩) Annual Surplus (₩) Donations (₩) Foreign Donations (₩) Govt Grants (₩) Service Revenue (₩) Other Revenue (₩)
2018 129,942,468 102,580,885 +27,361,583 93,530,029 1,539,538 1,931,359 32,941,542
2019 109,786,631 102,199,907 +7,586,724 73,853,872 1,077,222 6,527,936 28,327,601
2020 116,747,428 121,288,801 −4,541,373 85,134,006 689,037 26,627,947 4,296,438
2021 166,035,052 159,077,015 +6,958,037 102,447,713 54,065,240 399,179 57,622,130 5,566,030
2022 232,597,229 175,937,018 +56,660,211 199,568,996 125,916,323 392,126 28,440,117 4,195,990
2023 288,199,739 214,646,052 +73,553,687 255,245,481 132,507,524 9,470,041 17,679,293 5,804,924
2024 ⚠ 573,175,731 244,161,996 +329,013,735 383,094,973 270,577,447 8,189,434 15,186,084 166,705,240 ⚠

⚠ 2024 row flagged: total revenue nearly doubled year-on-year (₩288M → ₩573M) while expenses rose only 14%. The ₩166.7M in "other sources" revenue — a 28× increase from ₩5.8M in 2023 — has no public explanation in the registry filing. The resulting annual surplus of ₩329M (~$89M USD) equals 57% of total revenue. Source: Amuta 580465979, Israeli Guidestar (guidestar.org.il), 2018–2024 annual reports.

2024: Revenue Nearly Doubles. Expenses Barely Move. Surplus Hits ₩329 Million.
The 2024 annual filing shows total revenue of ₩573M against expenses of ₩244M — a surplus of ₩329,013,735 (~$89M USD). That is 57 cents of surplus for every ₩1 received. The ₩166.7M "other sources" line that drove the revenue spike has no public explanation. Israeli nonprofit law requires amutot to disclose the purpose and destination of surpluses. No such disclosure has been made publicly.
₩573M
2024 total revenue
(up from ₩288M in 2023)
₩329M
Annual surplus
(57% of revenue)
28×
Jump in "other sources" revenue
(₩5.8M → ₩166.7M)
Compensation & Welfare: Putting the Numbers in Context
Eli Beer — total US compensation (2024)
$688,791
Eli Beer — Israeli salary (2024)
₩581,302
Chasdei HaMatzilim welfare fund — annual budget
₩1,100,000
Volunteer family monthly grocery request
₩3,500

All bars scaled relative to Beer's US compensation ($688,791). Israeli shekel figures converted at approx. ₩3.7/$1. Sources: IRS Form 990 Part VII (2024); Israeli Corporations Authority (Amuta 580465979, 2024); internal WhatsApp communications, UH volunteer network, early 2026.

Flagged Anomalies & Inconsistencies

HIGH
2024: Unexplained ₩166.7M "Other Revenue"
In 2024, the "other sources" revenue line jumped from ₩5.8M (2023) to ₩166.7M — a 28× increase. No explanation appears in the public registry filing. This single line item is responsible for the near-doubling of total revenue and the extraordinary ₩329M surplus. The organization has not publicly disclosed what this represents.
HIGH
2024: ₩329M Surplus — Where Is the Money?
The 2024 annual surplus of ₩329,013,735 (~$89M USD) equals 57% of total revenue — an extraordinary accumulation for a nonprofit. The Israeli amuta has no disclosed endowment or reserve fund of this scale. Israeli nonprofit law requires amutot to disclose the purpose and destination of surpluses. No such disclosure has been made publicly.
NOTABLE
2021: ₩57.6M "Service Revenue" Spike
In 2021, "general services" revenue reached ₩57.6M — the highest in any year, and more than double the 2022 figure (₩28.4M) and triple the 2023 figure (₩17.7M). This spike has no public explanation. It coincides with the COVID-19 period when UH claimed expanded emergency operations.
NOTABLE
2021–2022: Government Grants Drop to Zero
After receiving ₩1.5M (2018) and ₩1.1M (2019) in government grants, the figure dropped to ₩0 in both 2021 and 2022 — then jumped to ₩9.5M in 2023 and ₩8.2M in 2024. The 2021 court judgment ordering UH to pay ₩250,000 to MDA for defamation may be relevant context for the 2021–2022 grant gap.
NOTABLE
Volunteer Count vs. Public Claims
The Israeli registry lists 8,015 volunteers (2024) and 7,774 volunteers (2023). On May 31, 2026, Eli Beer publicly claimed "over 10,000 volunteers" on Facebook with no citation. Prior UH materials have cited 6,000 and 8,600 at various points. The jump from 8,015 (official, 2024) to "10,000+" (claimed, 2026) — a gap of ~2,000 — has no documented basis.
CONTEXT
Foreign Donation Dependence: 47% of Revenue
By 2024, foreign donations (₩270.6M) represent 47% of total revenue. The Israeli organization is almost entirely dependent on diaspora fundraising arms — primarily FOUH (US), but also UK, Canada, Australia, and Latin America. No consolidated financial statement covering all entities has ever been published.
CONTEXT
Revenue Growth vs. Expense Growth: Widening Gap
From 2018 to 2024, total revenue grew 341% (₩130M → ₩573M). Total expenses grew only 138% (₩103M → ₩244M). The organization is accumulating cash at an accelerating rate. In 2024, for every ₩1 spent, ₩2.35 was received. The destination of these accumulated funds is not publicly disclosed.

Volunteer Count: Official Registry vs. Public Claims

Israeli Guidestar — 2023 (official) 7,774
Israeli Guidestar — 2024 (official) 8,015
UH website / fundraising materials (various) 8,600
Eli Beer Facebook post — May 31, 2026 (unverified) 10,000+
Gap vs. official 2024 figure: ~1,985 volunteers with no documented basis

Source: Amuta 580465979, Israeli Guidestar (guidestar.org.il), annual financial reports 2018–2024. Volunteer counts from annual reports filed with Israel's Registrar of Amutot. Eli Beer Facebook post: "Eli Beer Hatzalah" (verified page), May 31, 2026.

25

Ukraine: The Numbers Don't Add Up

United Hatzalah's Operation Orange Wings claimed to have evacuated 3,000 Ukrainian refugees on 35 flights. Five separate discrepancies between UH's claims and official Israeli government data raise serious questions about the accuracy of those figures — and what donors were told.

Discrepancy 1

The Refugee Count vs. the Total Universe

United Hatzalah claims it personally evacuated 3,000 Ukrainian refugees to Israel on 35 charter flights during Operation Orange Wings (February–May 2022).

The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics recorded a total of 12,175 Ukrainian arrivals in Israel between February 24 and July 31, 2022 — the entire period of the war's first phase. The Jewish Agency's cumulative figure through September 2022 was 13,422. The Ruppin Academic Center's full-year figure for all of 2022 was 15,037.

If UH's claim is accurate, it would have been responsible for one in every four Ukrainians who arrived in Israel during the entire first five months of the war — a share that would represent a logistics operation larger than anything the Jewish Agency, UNHCR, or the Israeli Ministry of Aliyah publicly attributed to any single NGO. No Israeli government body, the Jewish Agency, or any international refugee organization has corroborated this figure.

SourcePeriodUkrainian ArrivalsUH's Implied Share
Israel CBSFeb 24 – Jul 31, 202212,17524.7%
Jewish AgencyFeb 24 – Sep 202213,42222.4%
Ruppin Academic Center / Ministry of AliyahFull year 202215,03720.0%
Discrepancy 2

The Flight Capacity Arithmetic

UH claims 3,000 refugees on 35 flights, which implies an average of ~85 passengers per flight.

A Boeing 737 — the standard charter aircraft for such operations — seats between 150 and 189 passengers. Even smaller regional jets carry 90–120. The implied load factor of roughly 45–55% is unusually low and has never been explained. No passenger manifests, flight logs, or airline documentation have been published by United Hatzalah.

MetricUH ClaimWhat the Arithmetic Shows
Total refugees3,000
Total flights35
Average passengers per flightNot stated~85.7
Boeing 737 capacity150–189 seats
Implied load factor~45–57%
Passenger manifests publishedNone
Discrepancy 3

The Robert Kraft Flight

The book 90 Seconds, written to celebrate United Hatzalah and used in major donor fundraising, states that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft "sponsored a plane filled with refugees." The Daniel Mael investigation found that the actual passenger count on the Kraft-sponsored flight was significantly lower than a full planeload.

This raises a direct question of donor disclosure: were major donors who funded individual flights given accurate information about how many refugees those flights actually carried? The book's description of a plane "filled with refugees" implies a full aircraft. The arithmetic above suggests the flights were, at best, half-full on average.

Discrepancy 4

The Verification Gap

Despite the scale of the claimed operation, United Hatzalah has published no primary source documentation to support its figures.

What UH Has PublishedWhat Has Not Been Published
Aggregate claim: "3,000 refugees, 35 flights"Passenger manifests
2022 Year in Review on israelrescue.orgFlight logs or El Al records
Book 90 Seconds narrativeIsraeli Ministry of Aliyah acknowledgment
Fundraising materials referencing Kraft flightUNHCR or Jewish Agency corroboration
Social media posts and press releasesAny independent verification of passenger counts
Discrepancy 5

The Fundraising Context

The Ukraine operation was heavily featured in UH's 2022 fundraising cycle. The Kraft flight alone was presented as a marquee donor opportunity. The organization raised approximately $79M in total revenue in 2022 — its highest-ever figure, per the 2024 Form 990.

The inability to verify the core operational claim — how many people were actually on those flights — is directly material to donors who gave money specifically for the Ukraine evacuation program. Under IRS rules governing 501(c)(3) organizations, material misrepresentations to donors in connection with charitable solicitations can constitute a basis for regulatory action. No IRS investigation has been publicly announced.

3,000
Refugees UH claims to have evacuated
12,175
Total Ukrainians who arrived in Israel, Feb–Jul 2022 (Israel CBS)
24.7%
Share of all Ukrainian arrivals UH would account for if its claim is accurate
0
Passenger manifests or flight logs published by UH
Primary sources: Israel CBS, "Population of Israel on the Eve of 2023" (Dec 2022) • Haaretz, "More Than 31,000 Russians and Ukrainians Immigrated to Israel Since War Erupted" (Aug 10, 2022) • Times of Israel, "Amid war, Israel sees threefold increase in immigration from Russia and Ukraine" (Aug 11, 2022) • Jewish Agency for Israel, Ukraine Update — September 2022 • Ruppin Academic Center, MINTE Report 1 • United Hatzalah 2022 Year in Review (israelrescue.org) • Daniel Mael, "Did United Hatzalah Mislead Robert Kraft With Inflated Numbers?" (Substack, 2025)

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DOCUMENTED LIES
BookBeer claims he was "age seven" at the 1978 bus bombing. He was 4 years and 8 months old. BookThe book says Beer was 16 on his 1989 New York trip. Four pages later it says 14. Five pages after that, 14 again. BookThe ambucycle is placed in 1992. United Hatzalah's own website says it was invented after a 2002 terror attack. BookRadio Shack scanners quoted at $700 each. The top-of-the-line PRO-2006 retailed for $400. BookThe man Beer claims to have saved in Chapter Six has no name, no date, no hospital record, and no corroborating witness. BookBeer claims to have imported "small automatic defibrillators" in 1992. The first portable consumer AED was FDA-approved in 1996. BookThe book claims a 90% survival rate from defibrillation within 2 minutes. The AHA puts the real figure at 50-70%. Book"Lifepak" is described as a company. It is a product brand made by Physio-Control of Redmond, Washington. FinancesUH claimed $54M raised in the US in 2022. Israeli registry filings show only $5.4M transferred to Israel that year. VolunteersUH claims 6,500+ volunteers in Israel. Its own Israeli registry filing lists 1,200. FoundingBeer claims to have started Hatzalah in Israel. UH's own FAQ once described him as "one of 15 founders" of Hatzalah Jerusalem. Oct 7Beer claimed UH was "first on the scene" at the Nova festival massacre. MDA and IDF records contradict this. FundingUH told US donors it received $2.6M in Israeli government support. Open Budget Israel shows ₪16.5M (~$4.5M). WelfareUH volunteers report receiving no compensation, insurance, or equipment stipends despite millions raised in their name. SwissA Swiss foundation controlled by UH insiders received millions in donations with no public accounting of disbursements. BookBeer claims he was "age seven" at the 1978 bus bombing. He was 4 years and 8 months old. BookThe book says Beer was 16 on his 1989 New York trip. Four pages later it says 14. Five pages after that, 14 again. BookThe ambucycle is placed in 1992. United Hatzalah's own website says it was invented after a 2002 terror attack. BookRadio Shack scanners quoted at $700 each. The top-of-the-line PRO-2006 retailed for $400. BookThe man Beer claims to have saved in Chapter Six has no name, no date, no hospital record, and no corroborating witness. BookBeer claims to have imported "small automatic defibrillators" in 1992. The first portable consumer AED was FDA-approved in 1996. BookThe book claims a 90% survival rate from defibrillation within 2 minutes. The AHA puts the real figure at 50-70%. Book"Lifepak" is described as a company. It is a product brand made by Physio-Control of Redmond, Washington. FinancesUH claimed $54M raised in the US in 2022. Israeli registry filings show only $5.4M transferred to Israel that year. VolunteersUH claims 6,500+ volunteers in Israel. Its own Israeli registry filing lists 1,200. FoundingBeer claims to have started Hatzalah in Israel. UH's own FAQ once described him as "one of 15 founders" of Hatzalah Jerusalem. Oct 7Beer claimed UH was "first on the scene" at the Nova festival massacre. MDA and IDF records contradict this. FundingUH told US donors it received $2.6M in Israeli government support. Open Budget Israel shows ₪16.5M (~$4.5M). WelfareUH volunteers report receiving no compensation, insurance, or equipment stipends despite millions raised in their name. SwissA Swiss foundation controlled by UH insiders received millions in donations with no public accounting of disbursements.