Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund Excludes 6 Israeli Companies from Its Investment Portfolio

SadaNews Economy - The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, considered one of the largest investment funds in the world, has announced its decision to divest from six Israeli companies that have direct ties to activities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as part of a periodic review of the ethical and sustainability standards the fund applies to its global investments.

The fund's ethics monitoring body confirmed that it will conduct an ethical assessment of the Israeli companies every three months, aiming to ensure their compliance with international human rights standards and social responsibility. This decision comes within the context of a broader review involving dozens of Israeli companies, in light of escalating tensions in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Previously, the fund had announced its divestment from 23 Israeli companies since the end of June, noting that this move is in response to growing legal and ethical concerns regarding the activities of these companies in the occupied areas.

The Norwegian decision reflects a growing European trend to reconsider investment relationships with companies linked to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and reinforces the debate about the role of sovereign wealth funds in supporting standards of justice and transparency in global markets.