Herzog hosts Save a Child's Heart's 30th anniversary, backs Nobel Peace Prize bid
President Isaac Herzog hosted Save a Child's Heart (SACH) at the President's Residence in Jerusalem for its 30th anniversary and said the group deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. SACH says it has treated more than 9,000 children from over 75 countries.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 2On Friday 16 October 2026, President Isaac Herzog hosted Save a Child's Heart (SACH) at the President's Residence in Jerusalem to mark the 30th anniversary of the Israeli charity's founding. JNSR “On Friday, she was with her smiling mother, Mwanahamis, at the Israeli President's Residence, when President Isaac Herzog welcomed diplomatic representatives” Read at JNS ↗ The Jerusalem PostRC “SACH volunteers and supporters met last Friday with President Isaac Herzog at his official residence to celebrate the 30th anniversary of SACH’s founding.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Right · 2Guests included ambassadors and diplomats from African and other countries, medical staff, African doctors trained in Israel, donors, and mothers with children who had recently had successful surgery and were about to return home. JNSR “diplomatic representatives from Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, France, Kenya, Malawi, the Netherlands, Rwanda, Somaliland, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia” Read at JNS ↗ The Jerusalem PostRC “mothers with children who recently underwent successful surgeries and who will soon be returning home” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Right · 2Herzog said SACH deserved a Nobel Peace Prize; the Jerusalem Post reports that they pledged to do everything possible to bring that about, and JNS says they expressed a wish to nominate the organisation. The Jerusalem PostRC “said that the organization deserved a Nobel Peace Prize and pledged to do everything he could to bring that about” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ JNSR “Herzog expressed support for the organization and his desire to nominate it for the Nobel Peace Prize.” Read at JNS ↗
Right · 1Herzog called SACH "a remarkable Israeli humanitarian organization of which we're very proud" and said children from "Iraq to the Palestinian Authority" had been welcomed. Referring to their state visit to Zambia about a year earlier, where they met adults healed in Israel as children, they said, "This is something the international community should bear in mind when they accuse us of something else." The Jerusalem PostRC ““From Iraq to the Palestinian Authority, all have been welcomed with wide open arms - simply because they are children in need.””“This is something the international community should bear in mind when they accuse us of something else.”” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Right · 1SACH was founded in 1995 by Dr. Amram "Ami" Cohen, an American-Israeli cardiac surgeon at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, after an Ethiopian cardiologist asked for help for two children needing urgent heart surgery. Cohen raised about $10,000 for the first child. JNSR “Cohen was approached by an Ethiopian cardiologist, Dr. Belay Abegaze, seeking help for two children who urgently needed heart surgery.”“Raising approximately $10,000 to help the first child, Cohen began building what would become an international humanitarian initiative.” Read at JNS ↗ Right · 2Both outlets report that SACH has treated more than 9,000 children from over 75 countries, free of charge and regardless of religion, ethnicity or nationality. The work is based at the Sylvan Adams Children's Hospital at Wolfson Medical Center, and each child is accompanied by a family member or nurse. The Jerusalem PostRC “over 9,000 children from more than 75 countries have been brought to Israel for treatment.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ JNSR “provides free, lifesaving treatment to children with congenital and rheumatic heart disease, regardless of their nationality, religion, gender or financial circumstances” Read at JNS ↗
Right · 2SACH also trains medical staff from developing countries in Israel and sends teams abroad to screen children and operate, aiming to let countries treat more children themselves. JNS says treating one child costs about $15,000, covered by private philanthropy. The Jerusalem PostRC “medical personnel from third-world countries are brought to Israel to train in all aspects of cardiac surgery” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ JNSR “Treating one child can cost approximately $15,000, including medical care, travel and accommodation.” Read at JNS ↗ Right · 2Executive director Simon Fisher called the patients "living miracles". Robert Baruch, SACH's chair (JNS) or co-chair (Jerusalem Post), noted that one in 100 children is born with a heart defect. The Jerusalem PostRC “described the children who came under SACH care over the years as “living miracles,”” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ JNSR “SACH Chairman Robert Baruch told the audience filling the main hall that one in every 100 children is born with a heart defect.” Read at JNS ↗ Right · 2Philanthropist Sylvan Adams, whose name is on the children's hospital, said he became a donor after watching open-heart surgery. He said Gazan children have been treated with dignity, even after 7 October. JNS adds that he hopes Iranian children may one day be treated. The Jerusalem PostRC “They were always treated with dignity - even after October 7, he said.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ JNSR “He said he has a "dream of a future in which Iranian children" receive treatment through the organization.” Read at JNS ↗
Right · 1JNS adds that SACH received the UN Population Award in 2018, the first Israeli organisation to do so, and that Miracle Nkanda, the 9,000th child treated, attended the event. JNSR “including the United Nations Population Award in 2018, becoming the first Israeli organization to receive the honor”“Also present was Miracle Nkanda, the 9,000th child saved by Save a Child's Heart.” Read at JNS ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre0 outlets
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Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets give a warm, celebratory account of the anniversary and present SACH as a source of national pride and a model of 'medical diplomacy'. Both lead with Herzog's praise and the Nobel Peace Prize call.
- Emphasis
- JNS stresses the founding story, patient stories and the training mission. The Jerusalem Post stresses Herzog's remarks, including the line about international critics, and Adams's comments on Gazan children.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither outlet carries critical voices or independent assessment. Both cover only Israeli-side speakers.
- Charged language
- “medical diplomacy”“living miracles”“sworn enemies of Israel”
- For example
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“SACH is Israel's leading practitioner of medical diplomacy.” — The Jerusalem Post
“Its work demonstrates how medical care can create practical cooperation even when political circumstances are difficult.” — JNS
What every side reports
- Herzog hosted SACH at the President's Residence on Friday for its 30th anniversary.
- SACH was founded in 1995 by Dr. Ami Cohen and is based at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.
- SACH has treated more than 9,000 children from over 75 countries, free of charge.
- Herzog backed a Nobel Peace Prize for SACH and recalled their visit to Zambia.
- Sylvan Adams and Simon Fisher spoke at the event.
Where accounts differ
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What Herzog said about the Nobel Peace Prize
- Right
- JNS says Herzog expressed a desire to nominate SACH; the Jerusalem Post says they said it deserved the prize and pledged to do everything they could to bring that about.
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Robert Baruch's title
- Right
- JNS calls Baruch SACH chairman; the Jerusalem Post calls Baruch co-chair.
Isaac Herzog person
Herzog presents SACH as a source of national pride and an example the international community should weigh against criticism of Israel. They back a Nobel Peace Prize for it.
““Few things leave me prouder to be Israeli,” he said.” — The Jerusalem Post
“Herzog expressed support for the organization and his desire to nominate it for the Nobel Peace Prize.” — JNS
Save a Child's Heart organisation
SACH presents itself as a humanitarian group that treats children regardless of nationality and trains doctors so countries can treat patients themselves. It says the anniversary event at the President's Residence was a meaningful way to mark the milestone.
“I couldn’t imagine a more meaningful way to mark this milestone than under the roof of the President’s Residence” — JNS
““We are celebrating 30 years of saving worlds.”” — The Jerusalem Post
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right2 articles
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JNSR ·
Celebratory Feature-style tribute combining Herzog's backing, the founding story and patient stories, presenting SACH as practical cooperation across political divides.
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Israeli charity Save a Child's Heart marks 30 years, 9,000 children treated
Celebratory Event report that opens with the Talmudic 'saving a world' line and calls SACH Israel's leading practitioner of 'medical diplomacy', foregrounding Herzog's remarks about critics.
- 17 Oct 11:06 First JNSR Herzog backs Save a Child’s Heart as Israeli humanitarian organization marks 30 years of saving lives
- 17 Oct 22:42 +11h 35m The Jerusalem PostRC Israeli charity Save a Child's Heart marks 30 years, 9,000 children treated
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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