The divestment drive that could shake Israel’s economic foundations

JVL Introduction

Israel’s wars need funding and Israeli government bonds make it possible.

They also make Israel vulnerable to pressure and campaigners are increasingly making the case for divesting from them.

It seems that the UK’s largest public sector pension pool quietly sold its holdings of such bonds last year. No reason given, but it is obvious that persistent activist pressure pays off in changing the climate in which investors have to make their decisions.

As one of the protest leaders in the UK said, “We were horrified to discover that our retirement funds are financing genocide, apartheid, occupation, imprisonment, and torture.”

Who wouldn’t be? – as the holdings of more and more pension funds are scrutinised by pro-Palestinian campaigners.

What investor wants to be accused – correctly – of funding a genocide? There are always other options such people can choose.

As Aharon Porath argues, in this article from Local Call in Israel, the scaling up of this campaign has the potential to significantly harm the Israeli economy.

Let’s get to it!

This article was originally published by +972 Magazine in partnership with Local Call on Tue 30 Jun 2026. Read the original here.