Registry · HSBC
Does HSBC support Israel?
HSBC Holdings plc
HSBC does business in Israel — we found records of its operations there, but no record of donations, aid, or a public statement of support. Every claim below links to its source.
Filed under: Banks & financial companies · Companies that support Israel
Background
HSBC's Israel footprint is a corporate and institutional banking branch, not a retail bank: it has held a full Israeli banking licence since 2001 and serves companies and institutions from Ramat Gan — independently confirmed by the State of Israel's FY2024 SEC filing, which lists HSBC Bank PLC as one of only four foreign bank branches in the country. No corporate donations to Israel were found, and HSBC was not among the underwriters of Israel's wartime dollar bonds. The group has also moved in the other direction under public pressure: HSBC fully divested its shareholding in Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems effective 20 December 2018, after a campaign by the advocacy groups War on Want and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (24,000 emails, monthly pickets at 40 branches). The stake's value — about £3.6 million (~$4.5 million) — comes from War on Want's own 2017 research, not an independently confirmed figure; HSBC itself did not confirm the campaign as the cause, telling reporters only that the sale was part of a 'regular process.' That 2018 sale was not necessarily the end of the story: institutional-holdings trackers later showed HSBC's asset-management arm had rebuilt a small Elbit position by 2025, which press reports say was sold again in 2026 — unverified for this page and logged in the research queue for a dedicated re-check.
Times of Israel (Elbit divestment) Algemeiner (HSBC statement on Elbit sale) HSBC Israel (official — About HSBC)
Timeline of documented records
Documented records
| Type | Date | Amount | Recipient | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations in Israel | 2001 | — | Israel operations (HSBC Bank plc branch, Ramat Gan) Has operated with a full banking licence in Israel since 2001. The HSBC Bank plc branch — now at Amot Atrium Tower, Ramat Gan — provides corporate and institutional banking to international Israeli corporates, institutions and multinationals, plus a private-banking representative office. The State of Israel's FY2024 SEC filing lists HSBC Bank PLC as one of only four foreign bank branches operating in Israel, a presence the bank maintained through the 2023–25 war. | |
| Operations in Israel | 2023 | — | Israeli technology sector (HSBC Innovation Banking Israel) Two months after Silicon Valley Bank's March 2023 collapse, Globes reported that five senior executives from SVB's Israel branch — including branch founder David Cohen — were recruited by HSBC in London as part of the bank's newly launched global tech-banking business, since branded HSBC Innovation Banking. That unit, built out after HSBC acquired SVB's UK arm in March 2023, lists Israel among its markets and offers specialized banking (deposits, credit, venture-debt) to Israeli high-tech companies and their investors. |
Frequently asked questions
Did HSBC donate money to Israel or Israeli causes?
We have no records of donations. What is on record is commercial activity in Israel (Operations in Israel), which is not the same as 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. 6 distinct sources are cited for HSBC. Our methodology page explains the full verification process.
Sources & citations
Record last updated: 2026-09-25
- HSBC Israel (official — About HSBC) about.hsbc.co.il
- SEC — State of Israel 18-K FY2024 (banking system description) sec.gov
- HSBC Innovation Banking — Israel (official) hsbcinnovationbanking.com
- Globes en.globes.co.il
- Times of Israel (Elbit divestment) timesofisrael.com
- Algemeiner (HSBC statement on Elbit sale) algemeiner.com