Table of Contents
Company: Nvidia Corporation
Jurisdiction: United States (Global HQ: Santa Clara, California); Israel (Operational HQ: Yokneam, with major campuses in Tel Aviv, Beersheba, Kiryat Tivon)
Sector: Semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence, High-Performance Computing (HPC), Defense Technology Infrastructure
Leadership: Jensen Huang (Co-Founder & CEO), Eyal Waldman (Key Influencer/Former Mellanox CEO), Amit Krig (Senior VP, Israel Site Leader)
Intelligence Conclusions:
The forensic corporate intelligence assessment concludes that Nvidia Corporation has transcended the traditional classification of a multinational technology vendor to establish itself as a Foundational Infrastructure Sovereign (FIS) within the State of Israel. Unlike standard commercial entities that engage in transactional trade, Nvidia has executed a decade-long strategy of “Corporate-State Fusion,” effectively merging its corporate destiny with the strategic survival, economic resilience, and technological superiority of the Israeli state. This status is not incidental but the result of the “Second Home” doctrine explicitly articulated by CEO Jensen Huang, which prioritizes Israel as the company’s most critical research and development hub outside the United States.1
Material Complicity in Kinetic Operations:
The investigation has uncovered irrefutable evidence of material complicity in the Israeli military-industrial complex. Nvidia’s proprietary hardware—specifically the Jetson embedded computing modules—serves as the operational “brain” for lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) currently deployed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Forensic analysis confirms the integration of the Nvidia Jetson TX2 processor into Elbit Systems’ “Lanius” loitering munition, a suicide drone designed for urban warfare and targeted assassination in complex environments like Gaza.4 Furthermore, Nvidia provides the essential “compute substrate” for the IDF’s algorithmic warfare capabilities, including the AI targeting systems “The Gospel” (Habsora) and “Lavender,” which rely on the massive parallel processing power of Nvidia A100/H100 GPUs provided through the “Project Nimbus” cloud infrastructure and on-premise supercomputing assets.4 Without Nvidia’s specific silicon architecture, the IDF’s shift to “Data-Centric Warfare” would be technologically unfeasible.
Structural Economic Entrenchment:
Nvidia functions as a “Silicon Aggregator” within the Israeli economy. Through the $6.9 billion acquisition of Mellanox Technologies in 2020, Nvidia absorbed a national champion, effectively taking custody of the “nervous system” of the global AI economy—high-performance InfiniBand networking—and anchoring it within Israeli jurisdiction.8 The company’s planned investments in server farms and R&D centers, totaling billions of dollars, create a mutual dependency where the Israeli high-tech sector’s viability is inextricably linked to Nvidia’s continued patronage. The company’s decision to expand its footprint with a massive new campus in Kiryat Tivon and a server farm in Mevo Carmel during an active conflict signals a strategic alignment that functions as a form of economic stabilization for the state.11
Ideological and Political Alignment:
The company’s leadership exhibits a profound ideological alignment with the Israeli state narrative, characterized by a failure of the “Safe Harbor” neutrality test. While Nvidia executed a swift and total withdrawal from the Russian market following the invasion of Ukraine—citing moral and legal imperatives—it has conversely deepened its investment in Israel during the Gaza conflict (2023-2025). This expansion includes the acquisition of Israeli defense-linked firms Run:ai and Deci, the construction of the “Israel-1” national supercomputer, and the announcement of a massive new campus on state-subsidized land.13 This double standard confirms that the company views Israel not as a foreign market subject to human rights due diligence, but as an organic extension of its corporate self.
Governance and Social Complicity:
The audit reveals that Nvidia’s internal governance structures have been mobilized to support the Israeli war effort. CEO Jensen Huang has actively cultivated a corporate culture that validates military service, referring to reservist employees serving in Gaza as heroes and framing the workforce’s support for the war as a corporate virtue.16 Furthermore, the company’s donation matching program was implicated in funding organizations supporting illegal West Bank settlements and tactical gear for soldiers, revealing a systemic bias in its philanthropic vetting processes.17
Nvidia was founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem in Santa Clara, California. Initially focused on graphics processing units (GPUs) for the gaming market, the company’s trajectory shifted fundamentally with the realization that the parallel processing power of GPUs was ideal for deep learning and artificial intelligence. However, the company’s modern corporate identity in the context of this dossier underwent a metamorphic change with its aggressive entry into the Israeli market, culminating in the acquisition of Mellanox Technologies.
The Mellanox Singularity:
Mellanox was founded in 1999 by Eyal Waldman and a team of former Israeli executives from Intel and Galileo Technology.9 It grew to become a dominant force in high-speed networking (InfiniBand), a technology critical for connecting thousands of chips in supercomputers. In March 2019, Nvidia announced its intent to acquire Mellanox for $6.9 billion, beating out rival bids from Intel and Microsoft.9 This was not merely a purchase of intellectual property; it was an absorption of a “National Champion.” Eyal Waldman, a prominent figure in the Israeli defense and technology establishment, facilitated the deep embedding of Nvidia into the local ecosystem. The acquisition effectively transferred the sovereignty of Israel’s networking hardware sector to Nvidia, making the corporation a custodian of a strategic national asset.
Assessment:
The integration of Mellanox created a hybrid corporate DNA. Nvidia did not simply set up a satellite office; it internalized the culture, personnel, and strategic imperatives of the Israeli high-tech sector. The founders of subsequent acquisitions—such as Run:ai’s Omri Geller and Dr. Ronen Dar, and Deci’s Yonatan Geifman—are overwhelmingly alumni of the IDF’s elite Unit 8200 or the Prime Minister’s Office technological units.19 This pattern suggests that Nvidia’s operational structure in Israel is built upon the human capital of the military-intelligence complex. The reliance on this specific demographic creates a structural conduit for the transfer of military-grade methodologies into corporate products, and conversely, the optimization of corporate products for military application.
Jensen Huang (CEO & Co-Founder):
Jensen Huang is the architect of the “Second Home” doctrine. His leadership style regarding Israel is characterized by emotive, nationalist rhetoric that exceeds standard corporate diplomacy. Following the October 7 attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza, Huang issued internal communications that adopted the “unity” narrative of the Israeli war cabinet. He explicitly honored employees who “served with extraordinary bravery” in the IDF during the war, framing their participation in the conflict not as a disruption to business but as a commendable civic duty aligned with corporate values.16 His direct engagement with the families of hostages (specifically employee Avinatan Or) and his validation of the war effort demonstrate a leadership governance model that completely identifies with the Israeli national experience.
Eyal Waldman (Key Influencer & Former Mellanox CEO):
Although Eyal Waldman left the company in November 2020 shortly after the acquisition closed, his influence remains pervasive. He is the architect of the Nvidia-Israel relationship. Prior to October 7, Waldman was a vocal proponent of “economic peace,” employing Palestinian engineers in the West Bank and Gaza. However, following the murder of his daughter Danielle at the Nova festival, Waldman’s public posture shifted dramatically to one of total war until the hostages are returned and Hamas is destroyed.13 As a key stakeholder and the “father” of the division that generates ~$13 billion in annual revenue for Nvidia, his ideological shift likely influences the internal culture of the Israeli branch, legitimizing a hardline stance and marginalizing dissent.
Board of Directors & Institutional Investors:
While the primary board consists of US-based technology veterans like Tench Coxe and Mark Stevens, the board has consistently approved multi-billion dollar capital allocations to Israel during periods of extreme instability. The decision to construct the Mevo Carmel server farm and the Kiryat Tivon campus—investments totaling billions of dollars—signals a high-level strategic decision to accept the political, legal, and reputational risks associated with the occupation in exchange for access to Israel’s unique human capital.11 The board’s fiduciary logic appears to be that the “Start-Up Nation” ecosystem is so vital to Nvidia’s global dominance in AI that the risks of complicity in war crimes are acceptable externalities.
Analytical Assessment:
Nvidia’s corporate structure has evolved into a transnational entity where the distinction between its American headquarters and its Israeli operations is increasingly porous. The company has moved from “Extracting Value” (using Israeli tech) to “Building Sovereignty” (providing Israel with critical infrastructure). This shift aligns Nvidia with Israeli state interests because the company’s assets in the country—supercomputers, data centers, and networking labs—are now critical components of Israel’s national resilience strategy. In the event of a broader regional war or international isolation, Nvidia’s infrastructure provides the Israeli state with an independent, on-soil capability to develop and deploy advanced AI, effectively serving as a technological “Iron Dome” that insulates the defense sector from external shocks.
The following timeline illustrates the accelerating integration of Nvidia into the Israeli state apparatus, highlighting key milestones of economic entrenchment and military complicity.
| Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| March 11, 2019 | Announcement of Mellanox Acquisition | Nvidia announces intent to acquire Mellanox Technologies for $6.9 billion. This marks the beginning of the “Second Home” strategy, integrating the backbone of AI networking (InfiniBand) from Israel into Nvidia’s core stack. The deal is described as the company’s largest-ever acquisition at the time.9 |
| April 27, 2020 | Completion of Mellanox Deal | The acquisition closes, making Nvidia one of the largest employers in the Israeli tech sector. The Mellanox team becomes the “Nvidia Networking” division, cementing the company’s reliance on Israeli R&D for its data center business.9 |
| October 2022 | Withdrawal from Russia | Nvidia ceases all business operations in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, closing offices and relocating employees. This establishes a precedent for moral divestment that the company would later refuse to apply to Israel, failing the “Safe Harbor” neutrality test.14 |
| May 29, 2023 | Announcement of “Israel-1” Supercomputer | Nvidia reveals plans to build the Israel-1 hyperscale AI supercomputer. This provides the Israeli state and defense ecosystem with sovereign, exascale AI training capacity, a critical dual-use asset situated physically within Israeli jurisdiction.22 |
| October 2023 | Donation Matching Controversy | Following the October 7 attacks, Nvidia launches a 2:1 donation matching program. Reports reveal that approved recipients initially included groups supporting illegal West Bank settlements and tactical gear for soldiers, sparking internal dissent and exposing a lack of human rights due diligence.17 |
| November 2023 | Israel-1 Phase One Completion | The supercomputer goes online ahead of schedule during the height of the Gaza bombardment. Access is granted to “select partners,” likely including defense-affiliated researchers, providing computational power during active combat operations.23 |
| April 24, 2024 | Acquisition of Run:ai Announced | Nvidia moves to acquire Run:ai, a company founded by Unit 8200 veterans, for ~$700 million. This technology optimizes AI workloads, a critical capability for military cloud computing where resource allocation is a tactical necessity.19 |
| April 25, 2024 | Acquisition of Deci AI | Nvidia acquires Deci, an Israeli deep learning firm, for ~$300 million. This secures technology for “Neural Architecture Search,” essential for deploying advanced AI models on edge devices like drones and missiles with limited power budgets.26 |
| December 2024 | Kiryat Tivon Campus Land Deal | Nvidia confirms the purchase of 90 dunams of land in Kiryat Tivon for a massive new campus, receiving a NIS 70 million subsidy from the state. This cements a long-term physical presence and designates the company as a structural pillar of the northern Israeli economy.11 |
| December 30, 2024 | Completion of Run:ai Acquisition | The deal officially closes after regulatory review by the EU and DOJ, fully integrating the Israeli military-grade AI orchestration software into Nvidia’s portfolio and personnel structure.28 |
| January 2025 | Expansion of Beersheba R&D | Nvidia announces the tripling of its R&D center in the Negev, adjacent to the IDF’s new technology campus. This expansion is explicitly aimed at recruiting talent from the nearby Ben-Gurion University and IDF intelligence units, deepening the “revolving door”.15 |
| July 2025 | “Second Home” Reiteration | Amidst ongoing conflict and international criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, CEO Jensen Huang publicly reiterates that Israel is Nvidia’s “second home,” signaling undiminished political and economic support despite the geopolitical climate.31 |
Goal: Establish the direct and material integration of Nvidia’s hardware and software into the lethal capabilities of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the broader military-industrial complex.
Evidence & Analysis:
1. The “Brain” of Lethal Autonomous Weapons (LAWS):
The most critical finding of this dossier is the presence of Nvidia silicon within the kill chain of specific autonomous weapon systems. The Elbit Systems Lanius is a micro-suicide drone (loitering munition) designed for urban warfare, specifically for entering buildings, mapping them, and engaging human targets. Technical specifications and industry reports explicitly identify the Nvidia Jetson TX2 system-on-module (SoM) as the onboard AI computer for the Lanius.6
2. Algorithmic Warfare and Cloud Infrastructure:
The IDF’s shift to “Data-Centric Warfare” relies on AI systems like “The Gospel” (Habsora) and “Lavender” to generate target lists at an industrial scale. These systems require immense computational throughput for both training (creating the models) and inference (executing them).
3. Ruggedization and Heavy Armor Integration:
Nvidia technology is not limited to drones; it is embedded in heavy armor. The company works with “ruggedization” partners like Aitech Systems to repackage its commercial chips for military use.
Counter-Arguments & Assessment:
Analytical Assessment: High Confidence.
The evidence confirms that Nvidia hardware is the physical substrate for the IDF’s AI revolution. From the edge (Lanius drones) to the cloud (The Gospel), Nvidia technology is indispensable to the modern Israeli way of war.
Intelligence Gaps:
Named Entities / Evidence Map:
Goal: Determine the extent to which Nvidia acts as a structural pillar of the Israeli economy, going beyond profit extraction to become a source of national economic resilience and sovereignty.
Evidence & Analysis:
1. The Mellanox Singularity and “Acquired Identity”:
The 2020 acquisition of Mellanox Technologies for ~$7 billion was a transformative event. Nvidia did not just buy a company; it absorbed a “National Champion.” Mellanox was the backbone of Israel’s hardware sector. By retaining the staff, leadership (initially), and headquarters in Yokneam, Nvidia effectively “Israeli-fied” a significant portion of its global operations.9
2. Massive Infrastructure Investment (Sovereignty Building):
Nvidia is currently constructing some of the most significant infrastructure projects in Israel’s history, directly bolstering the state’s economic resilience during wartime.
3. The “Silicon Aggregator” Effect:
Nvidia acts as an aggregator of Israeli intellectual property (IP). Through acquisitions like Run:ai ($700M) and Deci ($300M), Nvidia is consolidating the Israeli AI software stack under its corporate umbrella.26
Counter-Arguments & Assessment:
Analytical Assessment: High Confidence.
Nvidia is an economic keystone of the Israeli high-tech sector. Its departure would cause systemic shock. Its presence provides economic legitimacy and resilience to the state during a period of conflict.
Intelligence Gaps:
Named Entities / Evidence Map:
Goal: Analyze the alignment of Nvidia’s leadership and governance with the political narratives of the Israeli state and its occupation.
Evidence & Analysis:
1. The “Second Home” Doctrine:
CEO Jensen Huang has explicitly and repeatedly defined Israel as Nvidia’s “second home”.2 This is more than a slogan; it is a governance doctrine.
2. The “Safe Harbor” Double Standard:
Nvidia’s complicity is illuminated by the stark contrast in its crisis response.
3. Philanthropy and Settlement Funding:
The audit revealed a controversy regarding Nvidia’s employee donation matching program. Following October 7, the company matched donations to organizations that included those supporting illegal West Bank settlements (e.g., funds for Kiryat Netafim) and tactical gear for soldiers (Lev Echad).17
4. Soft Power and Normalization:
Nvidia sponsors events like Cybertech Israel, a convergence of the Israeli intelligence community and the tech sector. This sponsorship lends the Nvidia brand to the normalization of Israel’s surveillance industry (which includes NSO Group and others), helping to “whitewash” the reputational stains of the occupation through the prestige of American big tech.13
Counter-Arguments & Assessment:
Analytical Assessment: High Confidence.
Nvidia’s leadership has abandoned neutrality. The company actively cultivates a Zionist-aligned corporate identity, suppresses dissent, and financially/rhetorically supports the state’s military objectives.
Intelligence Gaps:
Named Entities / Evidence Map:
Goal: Examine the provision of critical digital infrastructure that enables the Israeli state’s surveillance and control apparatus.
Evidence & Analysis:
1. Sovereign AI as a Strategic Asset:
The “Israel-1” supercomputer is a critical national asset. Built by Nvidia and operated locally, it allows the Israeli ecosystem to train massive AI models without relying on servers in Europe or the US.22
2. Facilitating Mass Surveillance:
Nvidia hardware accelerates the “Algorithmic Occupation.” Systems used for facial recognition at checkpoints (like Oosto/AnyVision) and predictive policing (like “Blue Wolf”) rely on the inference capabilities of Nvidia GPUs.4
Analytical Assessment: High Confidence.
Nvidia provides the physics of the occupation. Its chips and cables are the essential infrastructure for a high-tech surveillance state.
Intelligence Gaps:
Results Summary:
Justification Summary:
Nvidia Corporation scores in the highest tier of complicity due to its status as a “Foundational Infrastructure Sovereign.” It is not merely a trader with Israel; it is a builder of the state’s strategic capacity. The perfect storm of Military integration (Jetson in suicide drones), Economic anchoring (Mellanox acquisition), Digital sovereignty (Israel-1 supercomputer), and Political alignment (“Second Home” doctrine) results in a near-maximal score. The company has effectively fused its corporate identity with the Israeli national interest.
BDS-1000 Scoring Matrix – Nvidia Corporation
| Domain | I | M | P | V-Domain Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Military (V-MIL) | 8.8 | 9.0 | 7.6 | 8.8 |
| Digital (V-DIG) | 9.7 | 9.2 | 9.0 | 9.7 |
| Economic (V-ECON) | 9.2 | 8.8 | 8.0 | 9.2 |
| Political (V-POL) | 8.5 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
Calculation Logic:
The BDS-1000 model utilizes a composite formula to determine the final complicity score. The calculation prioritizes the domain with the highest impact while accounting for secondary domains.
Final Score: 938 (Rounded)
Grade Classification:
Based on the score of 938, the company falls within Tier A (800–1000): Extreme Complicity. This tier is reserved for entities that are structurally integral to the occupation or military apparatus.
1. Institutional Divestment & Exclusion:
Given the “Tier A” classification, Nvidia qualifies for immediate divestment by ethical investment funds, sovereign wealth funds, and university endowments. The “Safe Harbor” failure regarding the Russia/Israel disparity provides a clear legal and ethical framework for divestment: the company has demonstrated the ability to exit a conflict zone but refuses to do so in Israel, indicating a breach of neutrality and potential complicity in IHL (International Humanitarian Law) violations. Shareholders should file resolutions demanding a third-party human rights audit of the end-use of Jetson processors in lethal autonomous weapons.
2. Strategic Boycott of “Dual-Use” Partnerships:
Academic institutions and tech workers should boycott collaborative research programs involving Nvidia’s Israeli centers (e.g., the Israel-1 supercomputer partnerships). The integration of the Technion and other Israeli universities with the military-industrial complex means that research conducted on Nvidia infrastructure in Israel is likely to be transferred to the defense sector. A refusal to collaborate on these specific platforms can isolate the Israeli academic-military complex.
3. Public Exposure Campaign – “The Chip in the Drone”:
Advocacy groups should focus on the Elbit Lanius case study. The direct link between a consumer-grade Nvidia chip (Jetson) and a suicide drone used in Gaza is a powerful narrative. A campaign slogan such as “Nvidia: Powering the Kill Chain” or “From Gaming to Genocide” can bridge the gap between the gaming/consumer market and the reality of military complicity. This targets the company’s brand image among its core demographic of gamers and developers, potentially affecting talent acquisition.
4. Monitoring of “Blackwell” Deployments:
The next frontier of complicity is the deployment of the Blackwell (B200) architecture. Intelligence efforts must focus on tracking the shipment of these advanced chips to the Mevo Carmel facility. If these chips are deployed to “Project Nimbus” or IMOD-linked server farms, it represents a qualitative leap in the IDF’s AI targeting capabilities. Activists should pressure the US Department of Commerce to enforce stricter End-Use Monitoring (EUM) for high-performance compute exports to Israel, citing the “dual-use” risks similar to those justifying restrictions on China.
