Suche
Mein Konto
Norwegian sovereign wealth fund draws a clear line: 11 Israeli companies are kicked out!
Norges Bank excludes eleven Israeli companies from the sovereign wealth fund due to violations in the West Bank.
Norwegian sovereign wealth fund draws a clear line: 11 Israeli companies are kicked out!
On August 11, 2025, Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) took a significant step by excluding eleven companies from the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund. The reason for this decision is serious violations of international norms related to activities in the West Bank. The measure aims to review and restructure the fund's investments in Israel from an ethical perspective. Loud Business portal Norway The sovereign wealth fund also plans to sell all shares in Israeli companies that are not listed in the Finance Ministry's reference index.
The decision came after the Norwegian Finance Ministry asked the central bank to conduct a review of the sovereign wealth fund's investments in Israeli companies. The affected companies include Bet Shemesh Engines Holdings, in which the fund held shares worth $15.18 million, and Next Vision Stabilized Systems, whose shares represented $16.1 million. As of June 30, 2025, the fund still held shares in 61 Israeli companies, but in the future it plans to only invest in companies that are listed in the reference index. This also means that not all companies found in this index will be part of the sovereign wealth fund's portfolio.
Intensifying surveillance
Nicolai Tangen, the head of NBIM, highlighted the special conflict situation and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Since 2020, the Fund has contacted more than 60 companies, 39 of which are directly related to the conflicts in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Monitoring of companies in Israel was intensified in autumn 2024 to ensure that all holdings of the sovereign wealth fund are ethically responsible. The exchange of information with the Ethics Council about Israeli companies was also expanded in order to strengthen transparency and the basis for decision-making.
These measures are part of a broader strategy by the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, which is considered one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world and whose decisions can therefore have a significant impact on global markets and companies. The fund pursues not only financial but also ethical goals, which in the past has repeatedly led to discussions about the responsibility of investors.