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Does General Motors support Israel?

General Motors Company

Support documentedupdated 2026-09-26

Yes — General Motors has documented support for Israel on record. Every claim below links to its source.

Filed under: Car & automotive brands · Tech companies · Companies that support Israel

Background

Who Profits, an advocacy research centre, lists General Motors over several claims that on examination belong to other companies, not GM itself. Its Israeli importer, UMI (Universal Motors Israel), is an independently owned company — part of Comasco Holdings, with no current GM shareholding — so UMI's own facility choices, including a Chevrolet service center in the Mishor Adumim settlement industrial zone that Who Profits documents, are UMI's decisions, not GM's. Separately, Israel Aerospace Industries' ELTA Systems division designs, manufactures and sells the Zibar/Z-MAG family of all-terrain military vehicles to Israel's Ministry of Defense (a $30 million order for 30 vehicles was reported in 2022) — GM's role is limited to supplying commercially available 'crate' V8 engines, transmissions and axles that IAI/ELTA buys on the open market and fits to its own vehicle, not a GM contract with the Israeli military. Two further Who Profits claims — Chevrolet Colorado trucks winning a 2016 Israeli Ministry of Defense tender, and 'Chevrolet Grumman' vans used as baggage-scanners at West Bank checkpoints between 2004 and 2012 — carry no citation on the Who Profits page and no independent corroboration could be found; they are not included here as evidence.

Who Profits — General Motors Company profile Comasco Holdings (official) — UMI ownership Wikipedia — Zibar (GM crate engine/transmission/axle components) Army Technology — Z-Family of All-Terrain Vehicles, Israel CTech/Calcalist — ELTA Systems (IAI) to manufacture Z-MAG combat vehicles for the IDF

Timeline of documented support

20082011201420172020202320262008 — Operations in Israel: GM Technical Center Israel (Herzliya)Operations in Israel20082022-06 — Investment / program: UVeye (Israeli vehicle-inspection startup)Investment / program2022-062023-05 — Investment / program: UVeye (Series D round)Investment / program2023-052024-07 — Investment / program: Addionics (battery-technology company, Israeli-founded)Investment / program2024-072026-03 — Employee support: General Motors Israel’s own employees in Israel, including staff called up for reserve dutyEmployee support2026-03

Documented support

TypeDateAmountRecipientSources
Operations in Israel2008—GM Technical Center Israel (Herzliya)
GM has operated a research and development center in Herzliya since 2008 — the GM Technical Center Israel — which grew from about 30 people to roughly 700–800 researchers, developers and engineers working on machine learning, autonomous, electric and connected-vehicle technology; in 2017 it leased an eight-story, 11,000+ square meter building in Herzliya Pituach. The center also hosts GM Ventures' regional investment office. It was hit by layoffs in GM's global restructurings (hundreds of roles cut after the December 2024 Cruise robotaxi shutdown, dozens more in later worldwide cuts) but remains operating and recruiting as one of GM's key global R&D hubs.
Investment / program2022-06—UVeye (Israeli vehicle-inspection startup)
GM Ventures, General Motors' venture-capital arm, made an equity investment (amount undisclosed) in Israeli AI vehicle-inspection startup UVeye, and GM signed a strategic commercial agreement to deploy UVeye's automated drive-through inspection systems across GM dealerships, used-car auctions and fleet operations.
Investment / program2023-05—UVeye (Series D round)
General Motors participated in UVeye's $100 million Series D round alongside CarMax, Hanaco Ventures and others (the $100 million is the round total, not GM's individual share, which was not disclosed), deepening the 2022 investment and dealership-deployment partnership.
Investment / program2024-07-25—Addionics (battery-technology company, Israeli-founded)
GM Ventures, General Motors’ venture-capital arm, co-led the US$39 million Series B round of Addionics, announced on 25 July 2024. Addionics was founded by Israeli researchers, is described by the Israeli technology press as an Israeli auto-tech company, and lists Israel among the four offices on its own website, while its funding announcement is datelined London. GM Ventures co-led the round with Deep Insight, an Israeli deep-tech venture fund based in Herzliya whose Dr. Eyal Kishon is quoted in the announcement; truck maker Scania and other new and returning investors also took part. The US$39 million is the round total, not GM’s individual share, which was not disclosed. GM Ventures managing director Anirvan Coomer said the investment supports GM’s work on technology for an all-electric future. This is a commercial venture investment, not a donation.
Employee support2026-03—General Motors Israel’s own employees in Israel, including staff called up for reserve duty
General Motors Israel, the company’s Israeli research and development arm, put wartime support measures in place for its own employees in Israel in March 2026. This is staff welfare — not a donation to an Israeli organisation and not a public statement of support. The only source is a Geektime piece published on 11 March 2026 under the byline “Geektime Insider • מקודם” (“promoted”): sponsored placement content, not independent reporting, and every detail in it comes from GM Israel’s own communications and employer-branding manager, Shani Ernst, speaking for the company. No independent corroboration was found. On that account, the company first established where every employee was: who had been called up for reserve duty, who was in a safe area and who needed help. It then allowed fully flexible remote work, including for employees stranded abroad on business trips, adapted its onboarding and employee-departure processes to the situation, checked in on employees on maternity leave, increased the Cibus meal-card budget and offered remote fitness training. Ernst said managers outside Israel kept asking for and receiving regular updates so they could support where needed. No amounts were disclosed.
One source

Frequently asked questions

Did General Motors donate money to Israel or Israeli causes?

We have no records of cash donations, but General Motors has documented support of other kinds (Operations in Israel, Investment / program, Employee support). 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. 18 distinct sources are cited for General Motors. Our methodology page explains the full verification process.

Sources & citations

Record last updated: 2026-09-26

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