American Express Company - Political Domain Audit

Target: American Express Company (NYSE: AXP) Audit Phase: Political (Political Forensics) Audit Date: June 28, 2026

Corporate Communications & Public Stance

October 2023 Statements on the Hamas Attacks

On 13 October 2023, Chairman and CEO Stephen J. Squeri issued a company-wide statement titled “Statement on Actions In Response to Terrorist Attacks on Israel,” explicitly characterising the Hamas attacks as “incomprehensible terrorist attacks on Israel” and expressing that “our hearts go out to all the victims, their families and people whose lives have been and continue to be impacted” ¹. The statement confirmed that all American Express colleagues in the region were safe, pledged an initial $1.5 million in corporate donations, and announced a corporate match of colleague contributions to eligible nonprofits ¹. The first $750,000 was directed to the American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA), the U.S. fundraising body for Israel’s national emergency medical, blood-bank, and ambulance service, which operates under Israeli government emergency authority and serves both civilian and military populations ¹².

Approximately five days later, American Express published a second statement titled “Expanding Humanitarian Aid in Israel, Gaza and Affected Areas,” reported to bring the total company pledge to approximately $3 million ³⁴. The expanded commitment added approximately $1.25 million to UNICEF and Save the Children to address the humanitarian needs of children in Gaza ³⁴. American Express was listed by the Yale School of Management among companies publicly condemning Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023 ⁵. No public evidence identified of an American Express statement calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, expressing solidarity with Palestinian civilians, or condemning Israeli military conduct in Gaza.

Comparative Stance: Russia/Ukraine vs. Gaza

On 6 March 2022, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, American Express suspended all operations in Russia and Belarus: globally issued AmEx cards ceased functioning at Russian merchants and ATMs, and Russia-issued AmEx cards ceased functioning outside Russia ⁶⁷. The company issued a named public statement explicitly invoking its core values - “Do What is Right” - and linking the operational suspension to its ethical principles ⁶⁷. No public evidence identified of a comparable suspension of card network operations, invocation of core company values, or ethical-principles framing directed at Israeli military operations in Gaza.

Disinformation Environment

In March 2025, social media claims circulated alleging American Express had removed all mentions of Israel from its website; NewsGuard fact-checked these claims and determined them to be false ⁸. No public evidence identified of any confirmed removal of Israel-related content from American Express digital properties.

Roger Waters Sponsorship Withdrawal (2016)

In October 2016, American Express withdrew a reported $4 million sponsorship of Roger Waters’s North America concert tour, with press reports attributing the withdrawal directly to Waters’s public support for the BDS movement and his expressions of opposition to Israeli policies in Gaza ⁹¹⁰¹¹. The withdrawal was characterised in reporting as responsive to Waters’s “anti-Israel rhetoric” ⁹. This action predates the current conflict but establishes American Express’s prior posture toward BDS-aligned advocacy.

Operations in Occupied or Contested Territories

Israeli Card Network Franchise

American Express operates its card network in Israel through a franchise arrangement anchored in Poalim Express Ltd., a subsidiary of Bank Hapoalim B.M. incorporated in 1995 as the sole issuer and clearer of American Express cards in Israel under the American Express brand licence ¹². In March 2023, Bank Hapoalim publicly disclosed a new agreement with Premium Express Ltd. (of the Isracard Group) for “the issuance and issuance operation of American Express type credit cards,” restructuring and renewing the franchise ¹³. Isracard, a Bank Hapoalim subsidiary, manages issuance and clearing of American Express cards in Israel ¹². American Express previously held an exclusivity arrangement with Bank Hapoalim prior to this re-licensing ¹⁴.

Bank Hapoalim - Settlement Exposure of Franchise Partner

Bank Hapoalim - as parent of Poalim Express, the American Express Israeli franchise holder - is documented by AFSC Investigate as operating at least seven branches in West Bank settlements and one branch in the Golan Heights, providing mortgages incentivising Israeli settlement, managing municipal accounts for settlement local councils, and financing the construction of thousands of settlement housing units across eleven settlements between 2019 and 2021 ¹⁵. Human Rights Watch documented Bank Hapoalim’s settlement banking operations in a 2018 report ¹⁶. Bank Hapoalim is listed in the OHCHR UN database of business enterprises involved in Israeli settlement activities in the occupied West Bank ¹⁷¹⁸. American Express itself is not listed in any iteration of the OHCHR settlement database ¹⁷¹⁸ and is not listed as a named company in the AFSC Investigate database. No public evidence identified that American Express Company has directly engaged in settlement financing, settlement branch operations, or settlement construction activity.

Nipendo Acquisition and Amex Israel Subsidiary (2023–2025)

In January 2023, American Express announced its agreement to acquire Nipendo, an Israeli B2B payments automation startup founded in 2008 and headquartered in Netanya, Israel ^19202122. Following completion of the acquisition, American Express established an Israeli R&D subsidiary (“Amex Israel”) staffed by former Nipendo engineers to integrate the technology into its broader payments platform ¹⁹²¹. In July 2025, American Express shut down Amex Israel and laid off its entire workforce of several dozen workers, having integrated the technology into the broader AmEx platform ²³.

American Express Global Business Travel - Israel

American Express Global Business Travel (GBTG, NYSE: GBTG) is a separately traded public company in which American Express holds a minority equity stake and to which it licenses the American Express brand ²⁴. GBTG operates corporate travel management in Israel through an authorised sublicensee, Eltive ITMC Ltd., headquartered at 8 Menorat Hamaor St., Tel Aviv ²⁴²⁵²⁶. Eltive ITMC is a legally separate entity from American Express Company; whether it serves Israeli government agencies or manages travel to West Bank settlements was not confirmed in available sources ²⁴²⁵²⁶.

Historical Boycott Episode (1956–1958)

American Express closed its Israeli office in March 1956; the Israeli Government Tourist Office publicly accused American Express of capitulating to Arab League boycott pressure, while American Express denied the characterisation, citing commercial unprofitability ²⁷²⁸. The dispute was documented by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in April and May 1958 ²⁷²⁸.

Civil Society and Boycott Campaign Status

American Express appears on at least one consumer-facing boycott tracking site owing to its October 2023 statement ⁹¹⁰¹¹. No public evidence identified of a major organised BDS campaign formally designating American Express as a primary corporate target in its principal campaign lists. No public evidence identified of an OECD National Contact Point complaint specifically naming American Express in relation to Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Internal Governance, Content & Retail Policies

Payment Processing - Blocking of Palestinian Civil Society Donations

In approximately June 2018, American Express - alongside Visa and Mastercard - blocked online donation processing for multiple Palestinian civil society organisations including Al-Haq, the Women’s Affairs Technical Committee (WATC), the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), the Alternative Information Center (AIC), and Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCI-P) ²⁹. The stated basis was allegations advanced primarily by NGO Monitor, supported by Israeli government designations, of PFLP affiliation; some named organisations disputed the characterisation ²⁹.

In January 2020, American Express, Visa, and Mastercard disabled the donation processing mechanism for Samidoun (Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network), following Israeli government designation of Samidoun as PFLP-affiliated ³⁰.

Employee Relations

No public evidence identified of HR enforcement actions, suspensions, or documented disciplinary proceedings against American Express employees for pro-Palestinian speech, political symbols, or conflict-related union activity in connection with the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Retail and Supply Chain

No public evidence identified of American Express labelling, sourcing, or supply-chain decisions involving settlement goods. American Express is a financial services and payments network, not a product retailer, and no supply-chain exposure to settlement products was documented.

Algorithmic and Editorial Content Policy

No public evidence identified of independent academic studies or regulatory inquiries into American Express algorithmic moderation or content restriction practices specifically affecting Israel/Palestine-related content.

Brand Heritage & State Partnerships

Company Origins

American Express was founded in 1850 as an express freight and delivery business and was incorporated as a legal entity in 1965 ³¹. The company has no documented military heritage branding, defence-sector founding purpose, or stated mandate to advance any government’s foreign policy interests ³¹³².

Israeli State Partnerships and Honours

No public evidence identified that American Express has accepted Israeli state honours, hosted Israeli government officials in formal non-commercial partnership capacities, or sponsored Israeli state-backed “Brand Israel” cultural diplomacy campaigns.

Institutional Sponsorships

No public evidence identified of American Express sponsorship of Israeli academic or governmental institutions. The most proximate documented brand-positioning case is the 2016 Roger Waters sponsorship withdrawal, which reflected a reactive response to BDS-aligned advocacy rather than an affirmative partnership with Israeli state entities ⁹¹⁰¹¹.

Lobbying, Advocacy, Financing & Logistics

Federal Lobbying Expenditure and Issue Areas

American Express publicly discloses its policy engagement activities on its investor relations website ³³. In the 2024 election cycle, the company spent approximately $1,370,000 on federal lobbying, with annualised 2025 projections of approximately $1,680,000 in federal lobbying and $1,490,000 in state and local lobbying ³³. American Express PAC (C00040535) contributed $545,500 to federal candidates in the 2023–2024 election cycle ³⁴.

The company’s Q1 2025 LD-2 Senate lobbying disclosure identifies lobbying issues as banking and financial regulation, credit card competition legislation, cybersecurity, digital assets, and tax policy (TCJA renewal and OECD minimum tax) ³⁵. No Israel, Middle East, BDS, or anti-boycott topics appear in any LDA filing reviewed ³⁵. No public evidence identified of American Express lobbying in support of the Combating BDS Act, the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, or any state-level anti-BDS statute.

Financial Donations - October 2023 Crisis Response

American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA): American Express directed $750,000 to AFMDA in October 2023, as identified in the company’s own public statement ¹². AFMDA is the U.S. fundraising arm of MDA, Israel’s national emergency medical, blood-bank, and ambulance service, operating under Israeli government emergency authority and serving both civilian and military populations ¹². AFMDA’s 2023 Form 990 was identified but its machine-readable content could not be confirmed to itemise the American Express pledge as received ².

Gaza humanitarian relief: American Express directed approximately $1.25 million to UNICEF and Save the Children for humanitarian relief for children in Gaza in October 2023 ³⁴.

Foundation Charitable Matching - Settlement-Adjacent Organisations (Pre-2020)

IRS 990 tax records covering approximately 2001 through 2016, analysed and reported in a February 2019 investigative piece, document the American Express Foundation’s charitable matching programme contributing - alongside other corporate foundations - to the following organisations ³⁶:

• Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF): included as part of a collective $48,000-plus contribution from multiple corporate foundations; the American Express-specific matched amount is not separately itemised in the source ³⁶.
• One Israel Fund: included as part of a collective $15,000-plus contribution; One Israel Fund distributes funds to West Bank settlement communities; the American Express-specific matched amount is not itemised ³⁶.
• Central Fund of Israel (CFI): included as part of a collective $6,300-plus contribution; CFI funds Israeli settlement projects and organisations; the American Express-specific matched amount is not itemised ³⁶.

Whether these organisations remained eligible for American Express Foundation matching after 2016 is not publicly documented ³⁷. The ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer profile for the American Express Foundation confirms grant disbursements at the organisational level but Schedule I grant-level detail for 2017–2024 was not accessible for this audit ³⁷.

Crisis Asset Mobilisation

No public evidence identified of American Express directing corporate logistics assets, cloud credits, corporate aircraft, or infrastructure to Israeli military or state-aligned entities during active hostilities. The documented October 2023 corporate response consisted of financial donations and employee support services including Healthy Minds counselling access ¹.

Corporate Structure & Primary Mission

American Express Company (NYSE: AXP) is a publicly traded New York State corporation incorporated in 1965, with origins in the 1850 express freight joint-stock business ³¹. The company operates a closed-loop card network, issuing cards directly in the United States and operating internationally through licensed franchise and network partner arrangements, including in Israel ³².

Capital Structure: American Express employs a standard one-share-one-vote structure with no dual-class shares and no state golden shares ³¹. Berkshire Hathaway holds approximately 20% of shares outstanding as the single largest shareholder, characterised in company filings as a passive investor without formal board representation ³¹.

Geopolitical Mandate: No public evidence identified of a state geopolitical mandate, founding document language, or board-level instruction linking American Express’s corporate purpose to advancing any government’s foreign policy interests ³¹³².

Israeli Network and Subsidiaries: The Israeli card franchise (Poalim Express / Isracard) is a licensed third-party franchisee, not an owned subsidiary of American Express Company ¹³¹². The Nipendo-derived Amex Israel R&D subsidiary, established following the January 2023 acquisition, was dissolved in July 2025 with full workforce redundancy ²³¹⁹²⁰. GBTG, which holds the AmEx brand licence for travel management services, is a separately traded public entity ²⁴.

Executive & Leadership Footprint

CEO Stephen J. Squeri

Stephen J. Squeri has served as Chairman and CEO of American Express since 2018. The October 13, 2023 company-wide statement characterising the Hamas attacks as “terrorist attacks on Israel” and authorising the $750,000 donation to AFMDA was issued under Squeri’s name ¹. No public evidence identified of a separate personal op-ed, social-media post, or open letter from Squeri on the Israel-Palestine conflict beyond the October 2023 corporate statement.

Squeri made a $10 million personal donation to Manhattan College in December 2021, funding Squeri Hall ³⁸. He was appointed Chair of the Manhattan College Board of Trustees in March 2023 ³⁹. His publicly listed affiliations include the Partnership for New York City, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, The Valerie Fund, the Business Roundtable, and The Business Council ³⁸³⁹. No public evidence identified of personal donations from Squeri to FIDF, JNF, AIPAC, Israeli military welfare organisations, or West Bank settlement organisations.

Board of Directors

Based on the 2024 and 2025 proxy statements, the Board of Directors includes: Stephen J. Squeri (CEO), John J. Brennan (Lead Independent Director; Chairman Emeritus, Vanguard), Thomas J. Baltimore (Park Hotels & Resorts), Walter J. “Jay” Clayton (former SEC Chairman 2017–2020; Non-Executive Chairman, Apollo Global Management), Theodore J. Leonsis (Monumental Sports & Entertainment; Chairman, Groupon), Deborah P. Majoras (former FTC Chair; board member, Valero Energy), Karen L. Parkhill (CFO, HP Inc.), Charles E. Phillips (Chairman, Apollo Theater; Council on Foreign Relations member), Lynn A. Pike, Daniel L. Vasella (ex-Novartis), Lisa W. Wardell (ex-Adtalem), Christopher D. Young, Randal K. Quarles (former Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision), and Noel Wallace (CEO, Colgate-Palmolive) ³¹³². Jay Clayton’s election to the board was publicly announced in October 2022 ⁴⁰.

No public evidence identified of affiliations between these board members and FIDF, JNF, AIPAC, the Central Fund of Israel, West Bank settlement organisations, or Israeli reserve or military welfare funds. Charles E. Phillips’s seat on the Council on Foreign Relations reflects mainstream foreign policy engagement and is not a specifically pro-Israel advocacy affiliation ³¹³².

End Notes