Presumed 2028 Democratic presidential candidate Rahm Emanuel and his brothers, Ezekiel and Ari, are donating $550,000 to fund the training of pediatric doctors and nurses from An-Najah University Hospital in the West Bank city of Nablus at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center through the medical nonprofit Rozana, the organization announced on Monday.

The gift, which was first reported by Politico, was made in honor of the Emanuels’ parents, Dr. Benjamin and Marsha Emanuel. The donation was made to the international organization’s American arm, Rozana USA.

During a visit to Israel last month, before the donation was announced, Rahm Emanuel visited Rozana’s training program for An-Najah hospital professionals at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, calling it “one of the most inspiring examples of coexistence I saw in Israel.” 

Kenneth Bob, chair of Rozana USA’s board of directors, told eJewishPhilanthropy that the donation was made as a result of that visit. “He was so impressed by what he saw,” Bob said on Monday. “It fit into his worldview, and he saw an opportunity to honor his parents.”

According to Bob, the donation represents the largest private donation that the organization has ever received. 

The donation comes as some international medical organizations have warned of growing strains on the Palestinian healthcare system in the West Bank.

Founded in 2013, Rozana has branches in Australia, Canada, Germany, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the United Kingdom and the United States dedicated to promoting access to quality healthcare. In Israel and the territories, the organization focuses on so-called “health diplomacy,” connecting Israelis and Palestinians through medical care.

“This contribution will ultimately provide much-needed, improved care for Palestinian children while leveraging the field of healthcare to build constructive, trusting relations between Israeli and Palestinian medical professionals, bridging the divide,” the Emanuel brothers said, according to Rozana.

The funds will help provide “clinical training, fellowships and leadership development program” for 11 pediatric doctors and 36 pediatric nurses through Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, also known as Ichilov Hospital, and it will enable the establishment of An-Najah’s new West Bank pediatric hospital, Rozana USA said. The training program will be run through Ichilov’s Dana-Dwek Children’s Hospital. 

“Training our doctors and nurses in specialized pediatric care will be a key part of making this new hospital successful. We are especially pleased that the program will include training for respiratory technicians, as this is a new area of specialized training that is not currently available in [the West Bank],” Dr. Iyad Maqbool, CEO of An-Najah National University Hospital, said in a statement.