Bank Hapoalim

Bank Hapoalim, whose name translates approximately as “The Workers’ Bank,” is one of Israel’s largest banking institutions. Established in 1921 by the Histadrut, Israel’s labor federation, together with the Zionist Organisation, the bank was created to support workers, cooperative activity and the developing economic institutions of the Jewish community in Mandatory Palestine. It later evolved into a broad-based commercial bank serving households, small businesses, corporations, high-net-worth clients and institutional investors. The bank’s business is centered on Israel, where it maintains a large retail and business network comprising branches, business centers, automated teller machines and digital channels. Its retail offering includes current accounts, deposits, consumer credit, mortgages, payment services, investment advice and mobile and online banking. Its corporate activities include lending, cash management, foreign trade, payments, structured finance and sector-focused relationship banking. Through capital-markets and related subsidiaries, the group also provides securities brokerage and custody, foreign-exchange and derivatives services, investment management, underwriting, research, investment banking and private-market financing. Bank Hapoalim underwent a major change in ownership during the late twentieth century. It was nationalized in 1983 after Israel’s bank-share crisis and remained under government control until its privatization in 1996. A consortium led by Ted Arison acquired control during that process. Arison Holdings, associated with Shari Arison, subsequently held a substantial stake, but the holding was gradually sold from 2018 through 2022. The completion of that sale left the bank without a controlling shareholder. The group has periodically maintained operations outside Israel, including activities in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Luxembourg, the Cayman Islands and parts of Latin America. Its international footprint was later reduced substantially; by 2023, the New York branch was described as its remaining international banking operation. The bank has also developed sector and investment platforms, including Poalim Equity for private-company financing, investment and advisory work, and Poalim Tech, established to serve technology companies and startups. Digital banking and payments are important parts of the bank’s current strategy. Its channels include Hapoalim Internet, Hapoalim Mobile, telephone banking, self-service infrastructure and the Bit payment application. The group also pursued financial relationships with banks in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates following the Abraham Accords and entered the digital-wallet market. Bank Hapoalim is listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the symbol POLI and is included in the Tel Aviv 35 index. In 2023 it was described as Israel’s second-largest bank by equity. Its public profile has also been shaped by regulatory and reputational controversies, including a major United States resolution concerning assistance with tax evasion and money laundering, as well as criticism and investor exclusions connected with alleged financial links to Israeli settlements. In Israel, the bank has faced public debate over deposit remuneration, lending rates, profitability and customer service. The institution remains an active, diversified Israeli banking group with a strong emphasis on retail banking and a significant role in corporate and capital-markets finance. Bank Hapoalim B.M. is a major Israeli banking institution headquartered in Tel Aviv. Established in 1921 by the Histadrut labor federation and the Zionist movement, it was created to provide financial services for workers, cooperative enterprises and the developing Jewish economy in Mandatory Palestine. The Hebrew name Hapoalim means “the workers,” reflecting the institution's original labor-movement orientation. Over time, the bank developed from a movement-linked financial institution into a broad universal bank. Its activities include personal and household banking, mortgages, deposits, payments, credit cards, small-business finance, commercial lending, corporate banking, capital-markets services, investment banking, wealth management and institutional services. The bank also provides foreign-exchange and international banking services to customers involved in cross-border trade and investment. Bank Hapoalim was nationalized along with Israel's other major banks during the banking crisis of the 1980s. It was subsequently privatized in the 1990s, when control passed through private ownership associated with the Arison group. That ownership structure changed in the 2010s: the Arison family's controlling interest was reduced and ultimately sold, leaving the bank as a widely held public company rather than a bank controlled by a single industrial family. The bank operates an extensive Israeli branch and digital-service network and has maintained international activity through subsidiaries, representative offices and specialist operations. Its international profile has been particularly connected with commercial and private banking for Israeli and cross-border clients, although the geographic scope and structure of overseas operations have changed over time. As a large systemically important Israeli financial institution, Bank Hapoalim has participated in major phases of the country's economic development, including industrialization, infrastructure finance, household credit expansion and the shift toward digital banking. It competes principally with Bank Leumi, Mizrahi-Tefahot Bank, Israel Discount Bank and First International Bank of Israel. The brand is positioned as a full-service bank rather than a niche financial provider, combining mass-market banking with sophisticated corporate and capital-markets capabilities. The institution has also faced significant regulatory and reputational challenges. In 2020, it agreed with United States authorities to pay approximately US$874 million in settlements connected with allegations that employees and managers helped certain clients evade United States taxes and that the bank facilitated improper payments relating to FIFA and CONMEBOL officials. The case became one of the most consequential compliance matters in the history of an Israeli bank and led to strengthened scrutiny of anti-money-laundering, tax-compliance and anti-bribery controls. Bank Hapoalim remains an active, publicly traded Israeli banking group. Its present business combines branch-based and digital retail banking with corporate, commercial, institutional and international financial services. Exact ownership, executive leadership, subsidiaries and product emphasis can change and should be verified against the bank's latest annual report and regulatory filings. Bank Hapoalim is listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the ticker POLI and is included in the Tel Aviv 35 index. In 2023 it was described as Israel's second-largest bank by equity. Its public profile has also been shaped by regulatory and reputational controversies, including major U.S. settlements over tax-evasion assistance and money laundering, and criticism and investor exclusion related to alleged financial links to Israeli settlements. In Israel, the bank faces public debate over deposit remuneration, loan interest rates, profitability and customer service. The institution remains an active, diversified Israeli banking group emphasizing retail banking and playing a significant role in corporate and capital-markets finance. Its principal domestic competitors include Bank Leumi, Mizrahi-Tefahot Bank, Israel Discount Bank and First International Bank of Israel. Bank Hapoalim, whose name means “Workers’ Bank,” is one of Israel’s largest financial institutions and a principal participant in the country’s retail and commercial banking markets. Established in 1921 by Histadrut, Israel’s trade-union federation, together with the Zionist Organisation, the bank was originally connected to the labor movement and was created to provide banking services to workers, cooperative enterprises, and the developing Jewish economy in Mandatory Palestine. Over time it expanded into a broad universal-banking group serving households, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations, institutional investors, and private clients. The bank’s core business is domestic banking. Its retail division serves households, small businesses, private-banking customers, and foreign residents through branches, investment-consulting centers, automated service points, telephone banking, internet banking, mobile applications, and other direct channels. The corporate division provides lending, payments, foreign-trade services, cash management, and sector-focused relationship banking to business customers. Large corporations are served through industry-specialized teams, while middle-market customers are handled through regional business centers and dedicated business branches. Bank Hapoalim also maintains substantial capital-markets and investment activities. Its financial-markets operations include securities trading and custody, foreign-exchange and derivatives activity, research, investment advice, portfolio management, underwriting, and issuance services. Poalim Equity, the group’s investment-banking and private-investment arm, invests in equity and debt, lends to private companies, supports mergers and acquisitions, advises on capital raising, and works with institutional investors and international partners. The group has also developed specialized services for technology companies through Poalim Tech, which supports both mature technology businesses and early-stage startups. Digital banking and payments have become important parts of the brand’s proposition. The bank provides online and mobile banking services and has been involved in the development of Bit, an Israeli digital-payment and wallet application. Its innovation and strategy activities have focused on improving customer access, electronic payments, and digitally delivered financial services while preserving a large physical distribution network. Historically, Bank Hapoalim had a much broader overseas footprint, including operations or subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Luxembourg, the United States, Canada, South America, and the Cayman Islands. The group subsequently reduced its international presence, and by 2023 its remaining overseas banking operation was reported to be its New York branch. International activity nevertheless remains relevant through cross-border corporate banking, capital markets, private banking, and relationships with overseas financial institutions. The bank was nationalized in 1983 after Israel’s bank-stock crisis. It remained government-owned until 1996, when a consortium led by Ted Arison acquired control. Arison Holdings, associated with Shari Arison, later held a substantial stake, but the gradual sale of those holdings concluded in 2022 and left Bank Hapoalim without a controlling shareholder. The company is listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under POLI and is included in the Tel Aviv 35 Index. Bank Hapoalim has faced significant regulatory and reputational challenges. In 2020 it pleaded guilty in the United States to conduct involving the facilitation of tax evasion by American taxpayers and the laundering of bribes connected with the FIFA corruption scandal. The bank agreed to penalties and forfeitures exceeding $900 million in aggregate. It has also attracted criticism and investment exclusions related to alleged financing and banking services connected with Israeli settlements in terr…

Bank Hapoalim was founded in 1921 by the Histadrut and the Zionist Organisation. Its original purpose was closely connected with the labor movement and the economic development of the Jewish community in Mandatory Palestine. The institution’s name reflects that background: Hapoalim refers to workers or laborers. Over time, the bank expanded beyond its original constituency and became a general-purpose financial institution serving individuals, businesses and public and institutional clients. For much of its early and middle history, Bank Hapoalim was associated with the Histadrut. This changed dramatically during Israel’s 1983 bank-share crisis. The crisis led to the nationalization of the country’s major banks, including Bank Hapoalim, and the Israeli government retained ownership for more than a decade. In 1996 the bank was privatized and sold to a group of investors led by Ted Arison. The privatization marked its transition into a privately controlled, publicly traded banking group. The bank developed a broad domestic network and built businesses in retail banking, commercial lending, corporate finance, capital markets and international banking. Its Israeli operations came to include hundreds of branches and automated teller machines, regional business centers, dedicated corporate branches and industry teams. It also established direct banking channels, including telephone banking, internet banking, mobile applications and self-service systems. Its corporate division developed specialized coverage for large companies and middle-market customers, while the retail division served households, private-banking clients, foreign residents and small businesses. Bank Hapoalim also pursued international expansion. At different times its operations and subsidiaries extended to London, the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Luxembourg, the Cayman Islands, South America and other financial centers. The group later reduced this footprint as its strategy became more concentrated on Israel and selected international activities. By 2023, the New York branch was identified as the group’s remaining international banking operation. The group’s ownership structure changed again in the twenty-first century. Arison Holdings, led by Shari Arison, held approximately one-fifth of the shares until the gradual disposal of that position began in late 2018. The process concluded in September 2022, when shares valued at more than one billion shekels were sold. Bank Hapoalim consequently operated without a controlling shareholder. The bank has supplemented its traditional banking activities with specialized platforms. Poalim Equity invests in and lends to private companies and provides investment-banking advice, including support for mergers and acquisitions, private capital raising and public offerings. It also participates in private-equity funds and alternative investments. Poalim Tech was established in 2015 to provide banking and credit services to technology companies, with separate support for established growth companies and early-stage startups. The group has also developed Bit, a digital-payment application, as part of its innovation and strategy activities. In 2020, Bank Hapoalim admitted wrongdoing in two major U.S. matters. One involved assistance to U.S. taxpayers who concealed assets in Swiss and Israeli accounts; the other involved laundering bribes and kickbacks associated with the FIFA corruption investigation. The combined resolution produced penalties and forfeitures exceeding $900 million. The episode became one of the bank’s most consequential compliance and reputational events. The bank has also faced criticism concerning its alleged role in financing or supporting Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. Several institutional investors and pension funds excluded or divested from the bank, and a United Nations database published in 2020 included it among companies described as providing services connected with settlement activity. These allegations remain part of the bank’s international controversy profile. In the 2020s, Bank Hapoalim continued to report strong financial performance while facing criticism over customer service and the interest rates offered on deposits compared with rates charged on loans. It remains one of Israel’s largest banks, listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange as POLI and included in the Tel Aviv 35 index. Its present model combines a large Israeli retail franchise with corporate banking, capital-markets activities, private-market investing, technology-sector coverage and digital payments. Bank Hapoalim was founded in 1921 by the Histadrut labor federation together with the Zionist movement. Its original purpose was to mobilize savings and credit for workers, cooperative organizations and the economic institutions of the Jewish community in Mandatory Palestine. The bank's name, meaning “the workers,” preserved this institutional connection even as its customer base later broadened substantially. Following the establishment of Israel in 1948, Bank Hapoalim became an important participant in financing the new state's economic development. It supported households, agricultural and cooperative bodies, public institutions and private businesses. During the following decades it expanded its branch network and added the activities normally associated with a universal bank, including deposits, lending, payments, mortgages, foreign exchange, securities services and corporate finance. The Israeli banking crisis of the early 1980s transformed the sector. A collapse in bank-share prices and the subsequent rescue of the banking system resulted in the state taking control of the country's principal banks, including Bank Hapoalim. State ownership lasted through the 1980s and into the privatization process of the 1990s. The sale of Bank Hapoalim was associated with the Arison group, which became the bank's principal controlling shareholder. Under private ownership, the bank continued to grow as a broad financial-services group. It developed retail and mortgage operations, expanded business and corporate lending, strengthened capital-markets capabilities and pursued international banking activities. It also invested in electronic and later digital channels as Israeli customers increasingly adopted online and mobile banking. The bank's international business has included operations and services directed at Israeli companies, multinational clients and cross-border private-banking customers, with the composition of that network changing over time. The Arison ownership structure was gradually reduced. In 2018, Arison interests sold their remaining stake, ending the family's controlling position. Bank Hapoalim consequently became a publicly traded bank with dispersed ownership, subject to the governance and disclosure requirements of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and Israeli banking regulators. The bank's modern history also includes substantial compliance and legal scrutiny. United States authorities investigated its handling of clients with United States tax obligations and its alleged role in transactions involving football-governing bodies. In 2020, the bank entered coordinated settlements totaling about US$874 million with the United States Department of Justice, the Internal Revenue Service and other authorities. The resolutions covered tax-evasion allegations and a separate bribery-related matter involving FIFA and CONMEBOL. The episode reinforced the importance of cross-border tax reporting, anti-money-laundering controls and anti-bribery procedures for Israeli banks operating internationally. Today, Bank Hapoalim is a large Israeli universal bank. Its activities span personal and household finance, mortgages, deposits, payment cards, small and medium-sized enterprises, commercial and corporate banking, investment banking, capital markets, wealth management and institutional services. It operates through branches and digital platforms and remains one of the central institutions in Israel's financial system. Its principal domestic competitors include Bank Leumi, Mizrahi-Tefahot Bank, Israel Discount Bank and First International Bank of Israel. In 2020, Bank Hapoalim admitted wrongdoing in two major U.S. matters. One involved assistance to U.S. taxpayers who concealed assets in Swiss and Israeli accounts; the other involved laundering bribes and kickbacks associated with the FIFA corruption investigation. The combined resolution produced penalties and forfeitures exceeding $900 million (approximately US$874 million in settlement payments). The episode became one of the bank's most consequential compliance and reputational events and reinforced the importance of cross-border tax reporting, anti-money-laundering controls and anti-bribery procedures for Israeli banks operating internationally. Bank Hapoalim was founded in 1921 by Histadrut and the Zionist Organisation. Its original identity was closely associated with Israel’s labor movement and with the financing of workers, cooperatives, and national economic development. The name “Hapoalim” refers to workers, reflecting the institution’s social and political origins. For much of its early history the bank remained linked to Histadrut. Israel’s financial system changed dramatically during the 1983 Bank Stock Crisis, when the government intervened to stabilize the banking sector. Bank Hapoalim was nationalized and transferred into state ownership. It remained under government control until 1996, when it was privatized through a sale to a group of investors led by Ted Arison. The privatization marked the bank’s transition from a labor-movement institution into a commercially oriented, privately controlled banking group. Following privatization, the bank expanded its retail, corporate, investment, and international operations. It built a large domestic branch and ATM network and developed specialized structures for large corporations, middle-market companies, small businesses, private clients, and institutional investors. Its capital-markets activities grew to include brokerage, custody, research, portfolio management, foreign exchange, derivatives, underwriting, and investment-banking services. Poalim Equity developed as an investment and advisory platform, while Poalim Tech was established in 2015 to provide banking and financing services to technology companies at different stages of development. Bank Hapoalim also pursued an international strategy through subsidiaries and branches in London, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, Luxembourg, South America, and the Cayman Islands. This presence supported private banking, corporate banking, asset management, and capital-markets activities. The group later retrenched internationally, and by 2023 its remaining overseas banking presence was reported to be the New York branch. In the ownership structure associated with the Arison era, Arison Holdings, led by Shari Arison, held approximately one-fifth of the bank’s shares until a gradual disposal process began in late 2018. The sale process ended in September 2022, when shares worth more than one billion shekels had been sold and the bank no longer had a controlling shareholder. The bank has repeatedly invested in digital delivery. Its direct channels include internet banking, mobile banking, telephone services, automated machines, and customer-support channels. It has also been involved in Bit, a digital wallet and payment application developed for the Israeli market. These services complement the physical network, which has included more than 250 branches and hundreds of ATMs in Israel, together with regional business centers and dedicated corporate-service locations. Bank Hapoalim’s recent history includes both financial growth and heightened scrutiny. In 2020 it pleaded guilty in the United States to helping customers evade taxes and to laundering bribes linked to FIFA corruption. The combined settlement involved very substantial criminal penalties and forfeitures. The bank has also been criticized by civil-society groups and institutional investors over alleged links between its banking services and Israeli settlements in occupied territories. In 2023, the bank and its peers faced criticism from the Bank of Israel governor and the public over strong profits, deposit rates, and customer service during a period of high interest rates and increased household financial pressure. The bank’s current operating model is organized around corporate banking, retail banking, financial markets and international banking, and innovation and strategy. It remains one of Israel’s largest listed banks, although its relative ranking varies according to the measure used. Its present identity combines a historic labor-oriented name with the capabilities of a modern universal bank focused on domestic retail and business customers, digital financial services, corporate finance, and selected investment and international activities. In the 2020s, Bank Hapoalim continued to report strong financial performance while facing criticism over customer service and the interest rates offered on deposits compared with rates charged on loans. In 2023, the bank and its peers faced criticism from the Bank of Israel governor and the public over strong profits, deposit rates and customer service during a period of high interest rates and increased household financial pressure. It remains one of Israel’s largest banks, listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange as POLI and included in the Tel Aviv 35 index. Its present model combines a large Israeli retail franchise with corporate banking, capital-markets activities, private-market investing, technology-sector coverage and digital payments. Its main domestic competitors include Bank Leumi, Mizrahi-Tefahot Bank, Israel Discount Bank and First International Bank of Israel.

• 2025

  Noam Hanegbi becomes chairman

  [1]Bank Hapoalimen.wikipedia.org

  Noam Hanegbi was appointed chairman of the board.

• 2024

  Yadin Antebi becomes CEO

  [1]Bank Hapoalimen.wikipedia.org

  Yadin Antebi became chief executive in August, succeeding Dov Kotler.

• 2022

  Arison stake sale is completed

  [1]Bank Hapoalimen.wikipedia.org

  The disposal of Arison Holdings' shares concludes, leaving the bank without a controlling shareholder.

• 2021

  Centennial Stamp issued

  [1]Bank Hapoalimen.wikipedia.org

  To mark its 100th anniversary, Bank Hapoalim worked with Israel Post and the Philatelic Service to issue a commemorative stamp designed by Miri Gistor.

• 2020

  U.S. compliance resolution

  [1]Bank Hapoalimen.wikipedia.org

  The bank pleads guilty in U.S. cases involving tax evasion assistance and FIFA-related money laundering, with combined penalties and forfeitures exceeding $900 million.

• 2020

  United States settlements

  [5]United States Department of Justice settlement announcementjustice.gov

  The bank agreed to approximately US$874 million in United States settlements over tax-evasion and FIFA-related bribery allegations.

• 2020

  US enforcement settlement

  [1]Bank Hapoalimen.wikipedia.org

  The bank pleaded guilty to conduct involving tax evasion assistance and FIFA-related money laundering and agreed to major financial penalties.

• 2018

  Arison Holdings begins selling its stake

  [1]Bank Hapoalimen.wikipedia.org

  Shari Arison's investment vehicle begins a gradual disposal of its substantial Bank Hapoalim holding.

• 2018

  Arison controlling interest sold

  [6]Reuters report on Arison stake salereuters.com

  The Arison family's remaining controlling interest was sold, making the publicly traded bank more widely held.

• 2015

  Poalim Tech is established

  [1]Bank Hapoalimen.wikipedia.org

  The bank created a dedicated technology-sector platform for startups and more mature technology companies.

• 1996

  Privatization under an investor consortium

  [1]Bank Hapoalimen.wikipedia.org

  The government sells the bank to a consortium led by Ted Arison.

• 1996

  Privatization

  [1]Bank Hapoalimen.wikipedia.org

  A consortium led by Ted Arison acquired the bank from the Israeli government.

• 1990

  Privatization era begins

  [3]Bank Hapoalim corporate informationbankhapoalim.com

  Bank Hapoalim entered the privatization process through which control of the formerly state-owned bank moved to private investors.

• 1983

  Bank is nationalized

  [1]Bank Hapoalimen.wikipedia.org

  The Israeli government takes control of the bank following the Bank Stock Crisis.

• 1983

  Banking crisis and state control

  [8]Banking crisis and state controlen.wikipedia.org

  The Israeli banking-share crisis led to state control of the country's major banks, including Bank Hapoalim.

• 1983

  Nationalization after the bank-stock crisis

  [1]Bank Hapoalimen.wikipedia.org

  The Israeli government nationalized the bank during the financial crisis affecting the country’s major banks.

• 1963

  Investment company is founded

  [1]Bank Hapoalimen.wikipedia.org

  The bank establishes Bank Hapoalim Investment Company, later known as Hapoalim Investments, which invested across industrial, technology, communications, property and other sectors.

• 1921

  Bank Hapoalim is established

  [1]Bank Hapoalimen.wikipedia.org

  The Histadrut and the Zionist Organisation establish Bank Hapoalim to support labor and economic development, mobilizing savings and credit for workers and cooperative organizations.

• 1921

  Bank founded

  [3]Bank Hapoalim corporate informationbankhapoalim.com

  The Histadrut and the Zionist movement established Bank Hapoalim to provide financial services for workers and cooperative economic activity.

A full-service Israeli universal bank combining mass-market retail banking with corporate finance, private banking, capital-markets services and digital payments. A full-service, systemically important Israeli bank serving consumers, businesses, corporations and institutional investors through physical and digital channels. A leading full-service Israeli bank with a particularly strong retail and domestic commercial-banking franchise, complemented by capital-markets, investment-banking, technology-sector, and selected international capabilities. A full-service, systemically important Israeli universal bank combining mass-market retail banking with corporate finance, private banking, capital-markets services and digital payments, serving consumers, businesses, corporations and institutional investors through physical and digital channels.

• Consumer banking

  Retail banking

  Bank Hapoalim's retail franchise serves households, private-banking customers, foreign residents and small businesses. Services include accounts, deposits, mortgages, consumer credit, payment cards, investment advice and day-to-day payment facilities. Customers can use branches, automated machines, telephone banking, online banking and mobile applications. Bank Hapoalim serves households, private clients, foreign residents, and small businesses through branches, automated machines, telephone services, internet banking, mobile banking, and investment-consulting centers. The offering includes transaction accounts, deposits, payment services, consumer credit, mortgages, and financial guidance.

• Business banking

  Corporate and commercial banking

  The corporate division provides lending and banking services to large companies, middle-market businesses and sector-specific corporate customers. Its activities include credit, cash management, foreign trade, payments, operational support and relationship management through regional business centers and dedicated corporate branches. The corporate division provides lending, payments, cash management, foreign-trade support, and relationship banking for middle-market and large corporate customers. Coverage is organized through regional business centers, industry-specialized teams, business branches, and dedicated operational service centers.

• Investment banking and private markets

  Poalim Equity

  Poalim Equity invests in equity and debt issued by private companies and provides loans and growth financing. It also operates private-market and alternative-investment activities and advises on mergers and acquisitions, private capital raises, underwriting and public offerings, including offerings by Israeli or Israel-linked companies in the United States. Poalim Equity invests in private-company equity and debt, provides loans and growth solutions, advises on mergers and acquisitions and capital raising, and supports public offerings by Israeli or Israeli-affiliated companies. It also operates alternative-investment and fund-related activities for institutional investors.

• Technology-sector banking · 2015

  Poalim Tech

  Poalim Tech is a specialized banking platform for technology companies. Its Israeli activities include a Tel Aviv growth center for mature companies and a Herzliya Pituach early-stage center for startups. The bank also supports U.S. technology businesses through its American operations and its relationship with BHI. Poalim Tech provides tailored financial services to technology companies. Its structure includes a Tel Aviv growth center for more mature firms and an early-stage center in Herzliya Pituach for startups, with additional support for US technology businesses through the bank’s American operations and partners.

• Digital payments

  Bit

  Bit is Bank Hapoalim's digital-payment application and a central project of its innovation and strategy division. It supports electronic payments through mobile devices and represents the group's expansion from conventional banking channels into digital wallets and person-to-person payment services. Bit is a digital wallet and payment application associated with Bank Hapoalim’s innovation and strategy activities. It enables electronic payments and forms part of the bank’s effort to extend its reach beyond traditional branches and account-based banking channels.

• Capital markets

  Capital-markets services

  The financial-markets and international-banking activities cover securities brokerage and custody, foreign exchange, derivatives, research, portfolio management, investment advice, asset-manager support, underwriting and issuance management. These services connect Israeli and international corporate and institutional customers with financial markets.

• Retail banking

  Personal Banking

  Accounts, deposits, payment services, cards, personal credit and everyday banking for households and individual customers, delivered through branches and digital channels.

• Consumer lending

  Mortgage Finance

  Residential mortgage lending and related services for home purchasers and property owners in Israel.

• Commercial banking

  Business and Corporate Banking

  Credit, cash management, deposits, trade finance and other banking services for small businesses, commercial enterprises and large corporations.

• Investment banking

  Capital Markets and Investment Banking

  Securities, financing, advisory, underwriting, market and institutional services offered to corporate and professional clients.

• Wealth management

  Wealth and Private Banking

  Investment, advisory and banking services for affluent individuals, private clients and institutional investors.

• Capital markets

  Financial markets services

  The group provides securities brokerage and custody, foreign-exchange and derivatives services, research, investment advice, portfolio management, underwriting, issuance management, and support for asset managers and institutional customers in Israel and selected international markets.

• 2023

  Criticism over profits, deposit rates, and customer service

  Bank Hapoalim and other large Israeli banks faced criticism from regulators and customers after reporting strong profits while savers argued that deposit remuneration had not kept pace with increases in lending rates and the cost of living.

  Source

• 2020

  U.S. tax-evasion and FIFA money-laundering cases

  Bank Hapoalim pleaded guilty to helping U.S. taxpayers conceal assets in Swiss and Israeli accounts and to laundering more than $20 million in bribes and kickbacks linked to FIFA corruption. The combined U.S. resolution involved penalties and forfeitures exceeding $900 million (approximately US$874 million in settlement payments). Bank Hapoalim pleaded guilty in the United States to helping US taxpayers conceal assets in Swiss and Israeli accounts and to laundering bribes and kickbacks connected with corrupt FIFA officials. The case resulted in penalties and forfeitures exceeding $900 million in total.

  Source

• 2020

  Alleged financial links to Israeli settlements

  The bank was included in a United Nations database concerning companies described as supporting settlement activity in occupied territories. Pension funds and other investors in Denmark and Norway subsequently restricted or divested from the bank over the alleged links.

  Source

• 2020

  United States tax-evasion and football-governance bribery case

  United States authorities said Bank Hapoalim employees and managers helped certain customers evade United States taxes and separately facilitated improper payments involving FIFA and CONMEBOL officials. The bank entered settlements totaling approximately US$874 million and undertook compliance-related remedial measures.

  Source

• 2020

  Settlement and investment exclusions related to Israeli settlements

  The bank was named by the United Nations in a database of companies associated with economic activity supporting Israeli settlements in occupied territories. Earlier and later actions by pension and investment institutions included blacklisting or divestment decisions citing alleged settlement-related banking and financing links.

  Source

• 2020

  Bank Hapoalim fined $904 million in U.S. cases

  Bank Hapoalim settled cases brought by U.S. authorities concerning assistance to U.S.-based clients evading taxes and involvement in a FIFA-related bribery affair. It was ordered to pay a total of $904 million.

  Source

Read more

• 2021Centennial Stamp

  Israel

  To mark its 100th anniversary, Bank Hapoalim worked with Israel Post and the Philatelic Service to issue a commemorative stamp designed by Miri Gistor. The initiative emphasized the institution's long history in Israeli banking.

  Outcome. A commemorative postal issue recognizing the bank’s centenary. A commemorative stamp was issued for the bank’s 100th anniversary.

  Source

• 2022

  Complete disposal of controlling shareholder’s stakeStrategy

  Background

  Arison Holdings had gradually reduced its ownership beginning in late 2018.

  Action taken

  The remaining Arison-associated holdings were sold, ending the group’s controlling position.

  Aftermath

  Bank Hapoalim became a widely held listed bank without a controlling shareholder.

  Source

• 2020

  Labor agreement and early-retirement planOther

  Background

  The bank and Histadrut had been involved in a labor dispute over employment terms and workforce changes.

  Action taken

  The parties agreed to average wage increases for 2018–2022, a one-time employee grant, and a reduction of more than 900 positions through early retirement.

  Aftermath

  The labor dispute was canceled and a multi-year employment framework was established. The agreement ended the dispute while supporting workforce restructuring.

  One-time employee grant. NIS 210 million (2020 agreement covering 2018–2022)

  Source

• 2020

  Expansion of digital payments and Gulf relationshipsStrategy

  Background

  The bank was responding to the growth of mobile payments and the normalization of relations between Israel and Gulf states under the Abraham Accords.

  Action taken

  Bank Hapoalim entered the digital-wallet sector and reached arrangements with banks in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

  Aftermath

  The initiatives broadened the bank’s digital and cross-border financial relationships.

  Source

• 2020

  Cross-border compliance remediationOther

  Background

  United States authorities investigated the bank's treatment of customers with United States tax obligations and alleged bribery-related transactions.

  Action taken

  The bank entered coordinated settlements, paid approximately US$874 million and agreed to compliance-related obligations.

  Aftermath

  The matter increased regulatory and reputational pressure on the bank and highlighted the importance of strengthened tax, anti-money-laundering and anti-bribery controls.

  United States settlement payments. Approximately US$874 million (2020)

  Source

• 2018

  Gradual disposal of Arison Holdings stakeStrategy

  Background

  Arison Holdings had held approximately 20 percent of Bank Hapoalim’s shares.

  Action taken

  Shari Arison announced a gradual sale of the holding, completed in 2022.

  Aftermath

  The bank was left without a controlling shareholder.

  Source

• 2018

  Transition to dispersed public ownershipStrategy

  Background

  The Arison group had been the bank's controlling private shareholder after privatization, but its ownership position was reduced over time.

  Action taken

  The remaining controlling interest associated with the Arison family was sold to public-market investors.

  Aftermath

  Bank Hapoalim continued as a publicly traded bank without the former single-family controlling shareholder.

  Source

• 2015

  Creation of Poalim TechStrategy

  Background

  Israel’s technology sector was becoming an important source of business activity and financing demand.

  Action taken

  The bank established Poalim Tech as a dedicated platform for established technology firms and startups.

  Aftermath

  Technology-sector banking was organized around growth and early-stage service centers, with additional support for U.S. technology companies.

  Source

• 2015

  Create a dedicated technology-banking platformStrategy

  Background

  Israel’s technology sector was becoming an important source of business formation and financing demand.

  Action taken

  The bank established Poalim Tech with separate services for growth-stage companies and early-stage startups.

  Aftermath

  Technology companies became a defined customer segment within the bank’s commercial-banking proposition.

  Source

• 1996

  PrivatizationStrategy

  Background

  Following more than a decade of government ownership after the 1983 banking crisis, Israel pursued the sale of Bank Hapoalim.

  Action taken

  The bank was sold to an investor consortium led by Ted Arison.

  Aftermath

  Bank Hapoalim returned to private ownership and continued as a publicly traded bank.

  Source

• 1983

  Accept nationalizationStrategy

  Background

  The Israeli banking system was destabilized by the bank-stock crisis.

  Action taken

  Bank Hapoalim was transferred into government ownership as part of the financial-sector intervention.

  Aftermath

  The bank remained state-owned until its privatization in 1996.

  Source

• 2020-12-08

  TCS launches digital bank guarantee platform in Israel[10]TCS在以色列推出数字银行保函平台equitybulls.com

  Reported: 2020-12-08

  Tata Consultancy Services launched a blockchain-powered Digital Bank Guarantee platform as part of its Banking Service Bureau in Israel. Bank Hapoalim signed up as the platform’s anchor customer.

• Unconfirmed

  Bank Hapoalim fined $904 million in U.S. cases[9]Bank Hapoalim fined $904 million in U.S. casesjns.org

  Reported: 2020-05-03

  Bank Hapoalim settled cases brought by U.S. authorities concerning assistance to U.S.-based clients evading taxes and involvement in a FIFA-related bribery affair. It was ordered to pay a total of $904 million.

1. 1Bank Hapoalimen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Bank Hapoalim official websitebankhapoalim.co.il
3. 3Bank Hapoalim corporate informationbankhapoalim.com
4. 4Bank Hapoalim management informationbankhapoalim.com
5. 5United States Department of Justice settlement announcementjustice.gov
6. 6Reuters report on Arison stake salereuters.com
7. 7https://www.bankhapoalim.com/bankhapoalim.com
8. 8Banking crisis and state controlen.wikipedia.org
9. 9Bank Hapoalim fined $904 million in U.S. casesjns.org
10. 10TCS在以色列推出数字银行保函平台equitybulls.com