Registry · LEVI
Does Levi Strauss & Co. support Israel?
Yes — Levi Strauss & Co. has documented support for Israel on record. Every claim below links to its source.
Filed under: Fashion & apparel brands · Companies that support Israel
Background
No Levi Strauss & Co. corporate donations to Israel or to Israeli causes were found; the company's documented ties are commercial and run through a local franchisee. Levi's has been sold in Israel for decades under franchise — via Clal Industries' Tango until 2005, and since then via the Irani family's group, which still lists Levi's in its import portfolio; the Israeli stores are franchisee-owned. BDS-aligned campaigns, including the Canadian BDS Coalition, list Levi's over its Israeli retail presence, while other boycott-checking sites state there is no verified evidence of company support for Israel; no established fact-checker has documented any Levi Strauss donation. The company's December 2022 statement denouncing antisemitism did not address Israel. Philanthropy by descendants of founder Levi Strauss — such as the Haas family's Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, which announced it will close by 2028 and focuses on Bay Area and US-domestic causes — is personal family giving, separate from both the company and the Levi Strauss Foundation. The company has no US political action committee.
Canadian BDS Coalition (boycott campaign) Levi Strauss & Co. — We Denounce Anti-Semitism (2022) eJewishPhilanthropy — Haas Fund to shutter in 2028
Timeline of documented support
Documented support
| Type | Date | Amount | Recipient | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partnership | 2005 | — | Al Sarad Ltd / Irani family (Israeli franchisee); previously Tango Ltd (Clal Industries) Levi Strauss & Co. ended its roughly 15-year Israeli franchise relationship with Tango Ltd, a Clal Industries company that had distributed Levi's in Israel, and the franchise passed to Al Sarad Ltd, owned by the Israeli Irani family (also the importer of Diesel jeans and owner of the Factory 54 chain). In 2006 the Irani group announced a store focused on the Levi's brand. The Israeli Levi's stores are owned and operated by the local franchisee, not by Levi Strauss & Co. directly. | |
| Operations in Israel | 2023-01 | — | Levi's brand stores in Israel (franchisee-operated) Levi's remains part of the Israeli Irani family's brand portfolio: a January 2023 Calcalist magazine feature on the family's Elshred/Al Sarad group (about 140 stores and 1,800 employees) lists Levi's among the roughly 150 brands it imports and operates in Israel, alongside Diesel, Ralph Lauren and Lululemon. Levi's mono-brand stores run in Israeli malls including Azrieli Tel Aviv and Ofer Ramat Aviv, and the brand is also sold through Israeli retailers such as Hamashbir 365 and Factory 54. These are commercial franchise/import operations by the Israeli partner, not direct Levi Strauss & Co. operations. |
Frequently asked questions
Did Levi Strauss & Co. donate money to Israel or Israeli causes?
We have no records of cash donations, but Levi Strauss & Co. has documented support of other kinds (Partnership, Operations in Israel). 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 Levi Strauss & Co.. Our methodology page explains the full verification process.
Sources & citations
Record last updated: 2026-07-22
- Globes (English) globes.co.il
- Globes (Hebrew) globes.co.il
- Haaretz (2006) haaretz.co.il
- Calcalist Magazine (Irani family feature) newmedia.calcalist.co.il
- Azrieli Malls — Levi's store, Tel Aviv azrielimalls.co.il
- Ofer Malls — Levi's store, Ramat Aviv myofer.co.il
- Canadian BDS Coalition (boycott campaign) bdscoalition.ca
- Levi Strauss & Co. — We Denounce Anti-Semitism (2022) levistrauss.com
- eJewishPhilanthropy — Haas Fund to shutter in 2028 ejewishphilanthropy.com