An Israeli reservist in his 30s who spent months serving in Gaza won the NIS 15 million first prize in the national lottery and said he plans to use part of the money to establish a nonprofit.
The winner arrived at the Mifal Hapayis lottery headquarters about two weeks after the April 18 draw, in which he won the jackpot.
“For some time, I have had a feeling that it was only a matter of time until I won, even though I rarely fill out a form,” he said. “Before the draw, I bought a Double Lotto ticket, and something made me add a regular Lottomat form as well.”
The winner said he checked the numbers on the lottery app shortly after the draw.
‘ I could not come right away to collect the prize’
“I checked the numbers against the form and immediately understood that I had won,” he said. “I did not tell anyone. I went for a walk around the neighborhood to process the news. The first thing that crossed my mind was that this is a very big responsibility, to make the right decisions.”
He added that his arrival at the lottery headquarters was delayed because of his current military service.
“I am in reserve duty, so I could not come right away to collect the prize,” he said.
Asked what he intended to do with the money, the winner said he planned to proceed carefully.
“I am a calm and thoughtful person, and I have a plan I would like to fulfill, to establish a nonprofit,” he said. “Giving and helping others are very important to me, and I feel a deep connection to that. As for myself, I will take the time to consult and think about what is right to do.”
The winner said that after collecting the prize, he was returning to reserve duty.
“For now, I am going back to the reserves, and I will have enough time to continue planning my plans,” he said.
