Registry · BRK.B
Does Berkshire Hathaway Inc. support Israel?
Yes — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has documented support for Israel on record, including $10,000,000 in donations. Every claim below links to its source.
Filed under: Banks & financial companies · Companies that support Israel
Background
The ISCAR/IMC purchases of 2006 and 2013 were corporate acquisitions by Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which still owns the toolmaker headquartered in Tefen in northern Israel. By contrast, the Israel Bonds purchases, the Rambam hospital donation and the public praise of Israel's economy were actions and words of Warren Buffett personally — not Berkshire corporate transactions — though his standing as Berkshire's chairman is what gave the Israel Bonds events their drawing power.
Berkshire Hathaway (press release) Times of Israel
Timeline of documented support
Documented support
| Type | Date | Amount | Recipient | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acquisition | 2006-07-05 | $4,000,000,000 | Iscar Metalworking Companies / IMC (Tefen, Israel) — purchased from the Wertheimer family Berkshire Hathaway acquired 80% of Iscar Metalworking Companies (IMC), the metal-cutting-tool group headquartered in Tefen in northern Israel, for $4 billion in cash — a transaction valuing IMC at $5 billion and Berkshire's first acquisition of a company based outside the United States. Announced May 5, 2006 and completed July 5, 2006; IMC continued to be led by chairman Eitan Wertheimer from Israel. | |
| Acquisition | 2013-05-01 | $2,050,000,000 | IMC International Metalworking Companies (remaining 20%, Wertheimer family) Berkshire Hathaway bought the 20% of IMC/ISCAR it did not already own from the Wertheimer family for $2.05 billion, implying a valuation of roughly $10 billion and making the Israeli toolmaker a wholly owned Berkshire subsidiary. | |
| Public statement | 2013-05 | — | State of Israel (public remarks) After completing the ISCAR buyout, Warren Buffett — Berkshire's chairman and CEO, speaking personally to Israeli media — said 'Israel is the leading, largest and most promising investment hub outside the United States,' that 'for me, the number-one country is Israel,' and that ISCAR 'will stay in Israel as long as I'm alive.' | |
| Donation | 2013-12 | $10,000,000 | Rambam Health Care Campus (Haifa, Israel) Warren Buffett personally donated $10 million to Rambam hospital in Haifa, announced by ISCAR's Eitan Wertheimer at the hospital's 75th-anniversary dinner. This was a personal gift by Buffett, not a Berkshire Hathaway corporate donation. | |
| Investment / program | 2016-11 | $5,000,000 | State of Israel Bonds (Development Corporation for Israel) Warren Buffett personally bought $5 million of Israel Bonds at an Omaha event he hosted for 43 investors that raised about $60 million, telling buyers 'I believe Israel is going to be around forever' and 'if you are looking for brains, energy and dynamism in the Middle East, Israel is the only place you need to go.' He hosted further Israel Bonds events in New York in June 2017 expected to bring the total raised to roughly $200 million. These were personal purchases and appearances by Buffett, not Berkshire corporate investments. | |
| Donations total | $10,000,000 | |||
Frequently asked questions
Did Berkshire Hathaway Inc. donate money to Israel or Israeli causes?
Yes. Documented donations total $10,000,000, including $10,000,000 to Rambam Health Care Campus (Haifa, Israel). Each donation is listed on this page with its date and source.
How much has Berkshire Hathaway Inc. given?
Documented donations total $10,000,000. The largest single recorded item is $10,000,000 to Rambam Health Care Campus (Haifa, Israel) (2013-12).
Where does this information come from?
Every record on this page links to its source — news reports, official company statements, tax filings, or government records. 11 distinct sources are cited for Berkshire Hathaway Inc.. Our methodology page explains the full verification process.
Sources & citations
Record last updated: 2026-07-28
- Berkshire Hathaway (press release) berkshirehathaway.com
- Berkshire Hathaway 10-Q, Q3 2006 (SEC) sec.gov
- NBC News nbcnews.com
- Bloomberg bloomberg.com
- Ynetnews ynetnews.com
- Berkshire Hathaway 10-Q, Q3 2013 (SEC) sec.gov
- The Forward (op-ed recapping the interview) forward.com
- JTA jta.org
- Times of Israel timesofisrael.com
- Times of Israel timesofisrael.com
- JTA jta.org