Reuters: Norway wealth fund may divest companies that aid Israel in Gaza war, occupied territories

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-The ethics committee of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, which is managed by the country’s central bank’s asset management unit, is currently deliberating on the potential removal and exclusion of additional companies due to their association with the state of Israel. This would involve divesting from existing shares in these companies and refraining from acquiring any new shares.

The committee, affiliated with the $1.7 trillion wealth fund, stated that it might suggest expanding the list of companies to be excluded due to their association with the Zionist enemy. This is in response to the ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

The committee recommended removing a company this year and may suggest excluding “a few more companies,” according to an Aug. 30 letter sent to the Norwegian Ministry of Finance, which oversees the fund.

In previous years, the fund excluded nine companies due to their activities in the West Bank, starting with companies involved in the construction and rental of roads and settlements.

The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, which owns shares in about 8,700 companies worldwide, manages the Norwegian Petroleum Fund and invests in equity markets, fixed income management and international real estate. He owned shares in 77 Zionist companies until the end of June, worth about $1.5 billion, equivalent to 0.1 percent of his total investments.