Registry · KO
Does The Coca-Cola Company support Israel?
Yes — The Coca-Cola Company has documented support for Israel on record. Every claim below links to its source.
Filed under: Food & beverage brands · Companies that support Israel
Background
Coca-Cola's Israel record requires separating the corporation from its bottler. "Coca-Cola Israel" is the Central Bottling Company, an independent, family-owned Israeli franchisee: its actions — the factory in the Atarot settlement industrial zone and the 2015 donation to Im Tirtzu — are the franchisee's, not the Atlanta corporation's. The Coca-Cola Company itself denies donating to Israel, stating it "does not support any country, government or policy," and the viral rumor that Coke donates days of profits or income to Israel has been rated false by Snopes. What is documented at the corporate level is different: the 1966 decision to grant an Israeli franchise in defiance of the Arab boycott (for which the Arab League boycotted Coca-Cola from 1968 to about 1991), the 1997 honor from Israel's Government Economic Mission for 30 years of support, and The Bridge startup program the company co-founded in Tel Aviv.
Coca-Cola official FAQ Snopes Haaretz
Timeline of documented support
Documented support
| Type | Date | Amount | Recipient | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations in Israel | 1966 | — | Israeli franchise (later operated by the Central Bottling Company) The Coca-Cola Company (corporate) granted an Israeli bottling franchise in 1966, days after the Anti-Defamation League publicly charged it with bowing to the Arab boycott of Israel by refusing an Israeli bottler. The decision defied the boycott: the Arab League responded by boycotting Coca-Cola itself from 1968 until around 1991, ceding Arab markets to Pepsi for two decades. | |
| Public statement | 1997-04 | — | Government of Israel Economic Mission (Israel Trade Award Dinner) The Coca-Cola Company was honored at the Israel Trade Award Dinner, organized by the Government of Israel Economic Mission, for its continued support of Israel over the previous 30 years and for refusing to abide by the Arab League boycott. This was recognition of the corporation itself, not of its bottlers. | |
| Partnership | 2014 | — | The Bridge (Tel Aviv startup commercialization program) The Coca-Cola Company (corporate) co-founded The Bridge, a commercialization program for early-stage startups based in Tel Aviv, run with co-founder Gabby Czertok and Coca-Cola's global chief technology officer Alan Boehme; by 2017 some 30 startups had completed it, producing about 90 pilots and 27 licensing agreements, with Turner and Mercedes-Benz later joining as partners. | |
| Franchisee action | 2015 | $13,850 | Im Tirtzu (right-wing Israeli advocacy group) The Central Bottling Company ("Coca-Cola Israel") — an independent, family-owned Israeli franchisee, not The Coca-Cola Company — donated NIS 50,000 (about $13,850) in 2015 to the nationalist advocacy group Im Tirtzu; the donation became public after Israel's Corporations Authority rejected Im Tirtzu's request to keep donor names confidential. Franchisee action, not a corporate action of the Atlanta-based company. | |
| Franchisee action | 2024 | — | Atarot industrial zone facility (Central Bottling Company) The Central Bottling Company, the independent Israeli franchisee, operates a Coca-Cola factory in the Atarot industrial zone in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli settlement area considered illegal under international law. This is the franchisee's facility, not one owned by The Coca-Cola Company. |
Frequently asked questions
Did The Coca-Cola Company donate money to Israel or Israeli causes?
We have no records of cash donations, but The Coca-Cola Company has documented support of other kinds (Operations in Israel, Public statement, Partnership, Franchisee action). See the records on this page.
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. 9 distinct sources are cited for The Coca-Cola Company. Our methodology page explains the full verification process.
Sources & citations
Record last updated: 2024
- JTA archive (1966 ADL charge) jta.org
- Foreign Policy foreignpolicy.com
- The Business Standard tbsnews.net
- Jewish Standard / Times of Israel jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com
- TechCrunch techcrunch.com
- Haaretz haaretz.com
- Al Jazeera aljazeera.com
- Coca-Cola official FAQ coca-cola.com
- Snopes snopes.com