![An Israeli contractor's Caterpillar 330B LME hydraulic excavator grabs a load of soil and rocks as it clears the path of Israel's separation fence on Palestinian land July 1, 2004 in the West Bank village of Az-Zawiya. [Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/GettyImages-51015987-1-1.jpg)
The world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, Norges Bank Investment Management, announced late Monday that it has removed five Israeli banks and US-based Caterpillar from its portfolio, Anadolu reports. The fund’s executive board said it decided to divest from First International Bank of Israel and its holding company FIBI Holdings, Bank Leumi, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank, Bank Hapoalim and Caterpillar. The decision was made due to “an unacceptable risk that the companies contribute to serious violations of the rights of individuals in situations of war and conflict,” the fund said in a statement. The fund’s ethics council said Caterpillar bulldozers had been unlawfully used by Israel to demolish Palestinian homes in Gaza and the West Bank. “There is no doubt that Caterpillar’s […]
