Phoenix Financial is an Israeli financial services and insurance company based in Tel Aviv. Phoenix is Israel's largest asset management, holding over $100 billion in assets under management (AUM) as of September 2026. Eyal Ben Simon is the CEO of Phoenix.
Operations Phoenix Financial has invested $456 million into arms manufacturers that provide equipment to the Israeli military. These holdings include: +Phoenix Financial Investment in Arms ManufacturersCompanyIndustryInvestmentElbit SystemsMunitions and electronics$265.1 millionReshef TechnologiesMunitions and electronics$40.2 millionNext VisionDrones, cameras and optics$68.3 millionRP Optical LabDrones, cameras and optics$906 thousandBeit Shemesh EnginesAircraft and engines$55.8 millionBoeingAircraft and engines$4.1 millionAshot AshkelonTanks and bulldozers$18.6 millionCaterpillarTanks and bulldozers$2.6 millionIsrael Shipyards LtdWarships$525 thousands Phoenix holds $4.5 billion of shares across 12 companies listed by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for their links to Israeli settlements.
Phoenix Financial owns nearly 10% of the corporate bonds issued to Brightline, the higher speed rail project in Florida.
History
Jared Kushner investment In October 2026, CNN published a report into Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, and his private equity firm Affinity Partners' relationship with Phoenix Financial. Prior to Trump's second inauguration in 2025, Affinity doubled its investment in Phoenix, with Kushner describing Phoenix as Affinity’s "best investment."
The report cited ethics concerns about Kushner's role as an unofficial White House representative to the Middle East, including his negotiations on the Gaza ceasefire and Board of Peace, and his role as an investor in a company that invests in Israeli arms manufacturers. Cynthia Brown, chief ethics counsel for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said "There are always people who profit from war or government policies. The difference is that the people profiting should not be the people making the decisions to make that policy. And that is what is happening here."
In June 2026, Affinity announced plans to sell 2.5% of Phoenix shares worth NIS 1.05 billion to international in a transaction led by investment bank Jefferies. Prior to the sale in July, Affinity was the largest shareholder in Phoenix, holding a 9.9% stake prior to the transaction and 7.4% after, worth over $1 billion.
Reaction On October 2, 2026, Kushner criticized CNN's report in an X post, characterizing it as "deeply misleading story and headline" for suggesting his "diplomatic work in the Middle East somehow benefited investments in Israeli defense companies".https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6127113-kushner-denies-cnn-israel-investment-report/https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2026/10/02/kushner-rejects-cnn-report-that-his-israeli-diplomacy-might-benefit-his-private-equity-fund/
References