Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas spent lavishly on family and cronies at the Qatar-hosted World Cup, while paying Palestinian Authority employees 70% of their salaries.
Israel is not playing in the World Cup 2018 football tournament in Russia but is certainly a key-player with its technological contributions to the games.
With a six-figure donation to the Fulfilling Dreams organization, Russian Jewish billionaire Roman Abramovich, who recently became an Israeli citizen, helped a group of ill children attend the World Cup.
Genesis Prize-winner Itzhak Perlman has said he will donate his $1m prize money to music education and helping people with disabilities; Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren was in Israel to host the Genesis Prize, and much more.
There's no place like the Ramon Crater for stargazing, and French-born, Israeli singer Amir Haddad will represent France at the Eurovision song contest this May in Stockholm, Sweden.
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