INDEX / DIRECTORY / ARM

ARM

Hardware & Semiconductors 100 CITED SOURCES UPDATED 2026-09-07 METHOD V6.5
BDS-1000 Score 615 /1000 B Tier B - Severe

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Key Findings

  • Economic: Arm maintains a wholly owned Israeli system-IP development subsidiary and a Ra’anana engineering hub; its official distributor listing also identifies an Israeli channel for Keil and Arm development tools.1, 2, 3
  • Digital: Arm acquired Israel-based Sansa Security in 2015 and reported a minority investment in Israel-based R&D company NeuReality; the available records do not identify either as an Israeli state-security relationship.4, 5
  • Political: SoftBank’s ownership gives it majority voting control of Arm and extensive director-designation rights; reviewed materials identify ordinary Israeli engineering operations, not a geopolitical or state partnership.6, 7
  • Not found: No public evidence identified of Arm or Arm Israel contracts, procurement, services, or direct commercial relationships with the IDF, Israeli Ministry of Defense, intelligence bodies, settlement authorities, or named Israeli defence primes.8, 9

Target Profile

FieldDetail
Company NameArm Holdings plc
JurisdictionEngland and Wales
Headquarters110 Fulbourn Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB1 9NJ, United Kingdom
SectorSemiconductor intellectual property: microprocessors, systems IP, GPUs, related software, tools, licensing, marketing, and research and development
OwnershipNasdaq-listed public company; SoftBank Group Corp. was Arm’s ultimate parent and beneficially owned approximately 86.4% of outstanding ordinary shares and a majority of voting power as of 21 May 2026, through Kronos II LLC.
Key Executives / GovernanceMasayoshi Son (Chair); René Haas (CEO and director); Jason Child (EVP/CFO); Charlotte Eaton (Chief People Officer); Spencer Collins (EVP/Chief Legal Officer); Richard Grisenthwaite (EVP/Chief Architect); Will Abbey (EVP/Chief Commercial Officer); non-executive directors included Ronald D. Fisher, Jeffrey A. Sine, Karen E. Dykstra, Rosemary Schooler, Paul E. Jacobs, and Young Sohn.
Israeli-Nexus SummaryArm has a documented, continuing wholly owned Israeli engineering and system-IP development presence in Ra’anana, plus historic acquisition and commercial-distribution ties; no verified direct military, settlement, or Israeli-state contract was identified.

Key Facts:

Executive Summary

Arm is a semiconductor-IP company whose documented Israel nexus is primarily economic and technological. Its record includes the 2015 acquisition of Israel-based Sansa Security, continuing ownership of an Israeli system-IP development entity, a current Ra’anana office and recruitment footprint, and an Israeli distribution channel for Keil development tools and Arm Development Studio.2, 3, 4 Arm’s own careers materials describe the Ra’anana site as an engineering hub with software and hardware engineering, security IP, architecture, GPU, machine-learning, and AI teams.3

The strongest direct nexus is Arm’s continuing operational presence. Arm’s FY2026 statutory accounts list Arm Technologies Israel Limited as wholly owned and engaged in system-IP development; filings also identify Israeli employees for equity-plan and pension purposes, and Arm reports leased facilities in Israel.1, 11 Industry-association reporting described 115 employees in Ra’anana, predominantly engineers, but that figure is secondary reporting rather than an Arm securities disclosure and does not identify particular projects, customers, contracts, or state support.12

The documented digital record includes the former Sansa business, whose hardware-security IP and software were intended for Arm’s TrustZone and IoT portfolios, and Arm’s FY2025 investment in NeuReality, an Israel-based R&D company. Neither record identifies an Israeli government, military, intelligence, security, settlement, or occupied-territory end use.4, 5 SoftBank’s separate investments in Cybereason and reported Vision Fund activity in Israeli technology companies establish parent-level investment links, but the audits do not establish that those companies are Arm subsidiaries or that their activities are attributable to Arm.13, 14

The reviewed evidence does not substantiate direct military complicity. No public evidence identified of an Arm or Arm Israel contract, tender, procurement award, licence, service agreement, co-production programme, or named supply relationship with Israeli military, intelligence, prison, police, settlement, or defence-prime bodies.8, 9 Elbit’s Smart WristView is marketed as a military C4I terminal using an ARM Cortex-A processor, but the cited product page does not identify Arm as the chip supplier or licensor, the end user, quantities, contract, deployment, or any connection to a particular weapon system.15

On the fixed, human-vetted V6.5 assessment, Arm receives a BRS score of 615, placing it in Tier B (Severe Complicity). The result reflects the documented Israeli operating footprint and its economic and political-proximity dimensions, rather than a verified direct defence, surveillance, settlement, or government-procurement relationship. The military score is zero because the reviewed evidence did not verify one.

Timeline of Relevant Events

DateEvent
July 2015Arm announced its acquisition of Israel-based Sansa Security, a provider of hardware-security IP and software for advanced IoT and mobile system-on-chip components.4
August 2016Arm announced that it had expanded its Israeli IoT security team, describing a Kfar Netter engineering-design centre associated with system-on-chip IP, IoT, and mobile computing.16
2018Arm’s later Hailo case-study material stated that Israeli startup Hailo used Arm DesignStart to prototype an automotive-oriented system-on-chip; the materials do not establish a current licence or state or military end use.17
September 2023Arm completed a reorganisation in which Arm Holdings Limited became group parent and was re-registered as Arm Holdings plc.10
2024Arm adopted an Israel Sub-Plan for eligible Israeli grantees under its employee equity arrangements; the plan does not quantify Israeli operations, revenue, tax benefits, or government support.18
31 March 2025Arm’s FY2025 subsidiary exhibit listed Arm Technologies Israel Ltd. as incorporated in Israel and wholly owned by Arm Holdings plc.19
FY2025Arm reported a $5 million investment in NeuReality preferred shares, settled through access to an equivalent value of Arm IP; NeuReality was identified as an Israel-based R&D company.5
21 May 2026Arm reported that SoftBank beneficially owned approximately 86.4% of Arm ordinary shares and held majority voting power through Kronos II LLC.6
July 2026Arm reported RSU grants to existing employees and new hires of Arm Technology Israel Ltd., evidencing continued employment arrangements but not customer, project, or end-use information.11
August 2026An Arm job posting sought a Senior Verification Engineer in Ra’anana for GPU hardware-verification work, further evidencing recruitment at the Israeli operation.20

Corporate Overview

Arm Holdings plc is an English public limited company and the parent holding company of the Arm Group. Its business includes licensing, marketing, research and development relating to microprocessors, systems IP, graphics processing units, associated software, tools, and services.10 Its registered and principal executive office is in Cambridge, United Kingdom.10

SoftBank Group Corp. is Arm’s ultimate parent and controlling party. As of 21 May 2026, SoftBank beneficially held approximately 86.4% of Arm’s ordinary shares through Kronos II LLC and held majority voting power.6 While SoftBank and controlled affiliates hold more than 70% of Arm shares, the shareholder governance arrangement permits designation of seven director candidates, and potentially eight if the board is enlarged to nine; Arm states that every non-executive director then serving had been designated by SoftBank for election.6

The principal documented Israeli operating link is Arm Technology/Technologies Israel Ltd. Arm’s records identify a wholly owned Israeli entity undertaking system-IP development, and official materials identify a Ra’anana office as a development hub.1, 3 The records use both singular and plural versions of the entity name and identify both 24 Alexander Street and 24 Zarhin Street, Ra’anana. The audits do not resolve whether these denote renamed entities, separate entities, or registered-office and operating-office distinctions.1, 3

Arm’s Israeli connection also includes its historical acquisition of Sansa Security and an official Israeli distributor listing for Pertech Embedded Solutions Ltd. Pertech’s stated markets include aerospace and defence, but the record does not identify sales of Arm products to Israeli government, military, or defence customers.2, 4

Domain Summaries

Military: Military

Mechanism of Involvement

No public evidence identified of a contract, tender award, framework agreement, memorandum, export licence, end-user certificate, or disclosed procurement relationship between Arm, Arm Technologies Israel Ltd., SoftBank, or a controlled entity and the Israeli Ministry of Defense, IDF, Israel Prison Service, Border Police, or another Israeli security body.8, 9

Elbit markets Smart WristView as a ruggedised, military-grade tactical C4I terminal for dismounted soldiers and specifies an ARM Cortex-A processor. This is product-level evidence that an ARM-architecture processor appears in a military-marketed Elbit system.15 It does not establish an Arm supply contract, the processor’s vendor, an Arm licence agreement, quantities, end user, deployment location, or linkage to a particular Israeli weapon system.15

No public evidence identified that Arm manufactures lethal platforms, munitions, missile-defence systems, strategic weapons components, or purpose-built targeting or weapons-effect software for Israeli forces.8, 9

Counter-Arguments and Evidence Limits

Arm’s strongest defence is that it is a civilian semiconductor-IP business, not a documented Israeli defence contractor. The direct military audit found no verified contract or procurement channel involving Arm and Israeli military or security bodies.8, 9

The Smart WristView material is insufficient to bridge this evidentiary gap. It identifies an ARM Cortex-A processor in an Elbit product, but not Arm’s commercial participation, downstream provenance, licence path, or Israeli operational use.15 The audit likewise found no disclosed Arm relationship with Elbit, IAI, Rafael, IMI/Elbit Land, or another Israeli defence prime.9

Named Entities and Evidence Map

Digital: Digital

Mechanism of Involvement

Arm acquired Sansa Security in 2015, describing it as an Israel-based provider of hardware-security IP and software for IoT and mobile system-on-chip components. Arm stated that Sansa technology would be integrated into TrustZone and IoT portfolios, including hardware isolation and trusted-execution-environment software protecting code, data, and connected-device data flows.4

Arm’s Israel footprint includes engineering teams working in software, hardware, security IP, architecture, GPU, machine learning, and AI.3 Arm also reported a $5 million FY2025 investment in NeuReality preferred shares for access to an equivalent value of Arm IP; NeuReality was described as an Israel-based research-and-development company, in which Arm held 21.2% of the relevant Series B class and 1.9% voting power.5

SoftBank’s documented Cybereason financing concerned cyber-defence and endpoint-security technology. The available announcements describe investments and commitments by SoftBank Group, SoftBank Corp., and Vision Fund entities between 2015 and 2023, but do not provide a verified Israeli state-security end use, exact current ownership, exit, or present joint-venture status.13

Counter-Arguments and Evidence Limits

No public evidence identified of Arm licensing, procuring from, or integrating a specifically identified Israeli-origin enterprise vendor within the reviewed source set, nor of Arm’s direct deployment of Israeli facial recognition, biometrics, behavioural analytics, predictive-policing, or surveillance technologies.9, 21

No public evidence identified of Israeli government cloud, sovereign-cloud, data-residency, Project Nimbus participation, direct intelligence relationship, offensive cyber capability, autonomous targeting, surveillance-derived data access, or AI decision-support service supplied by Arm to Israeli state bodies.9, 21 The audits specifically distinguish parent-level SoftBank investments from Arm attribution and do not treat downstream uses by independent Arm licensees as verified Arm conduct without contract-specific evidence.9

Named Entities and Evidence Map

Economic: Economic

Mechanism of Involvement

Arm’s Israeli economic nexus is direct and continuing. Its FY2026 statutory accounts list Arm Technologies Israel Limited as wholly owned and engaged in “Development of system IP,” while Arm’s official materials identify a Ra’anana development hub.1, 3 Arm’s FY2025 accounts attributed $59 million in non-current assets to Israel, compared with $60 million in FY2024; the accounts do not identify those assets as data centres, government infrastructure, or government-serving facilities.5

Arm’s official Keil distributor listing identifies Pertech Embedded Solutions Ltd., Ra’anana, as an Israeli distributor for Keil development tools, Arm Development Studio, and related products.2 The relationship establishes a commercial distribution channel in Israel.

Arm’s Israeli operations are also supported by an Israeli employee equity framework and pension-plan contributions. The Israel Sub-Plan provides a framework for awards under section 102 of Israel’s Income Tax Ordinance, but does not quantify awards, headcount, revenue, tax benefits, government incentives, or preferred-technology status.18

Counter-Arguments and Evidence Limits

The documented activity is a commercial R&D, employment, and distribution presence. No public evidence identified of Arm-operated sites, distributors, resellers, sales, services, or sourcing in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, or the Golan Heights.9, 22 No public evidence identified of settlement-origin product handling, settlement sales, occupied-territory service locations, Israeli tax incentives, Innovation Israel awards, Israeli manufacturing, or a published Arm policy addressing occupied-territory sourcing or labelling.18, 22

Pertech’s reference to aerospace and defence markets does not identify the IDF, Ministry of Defense, settlement authorities, or a government customer; it does not establish sales of Arm products to those entities.2, 23 Israel-specific revenue, profit, tax, dividend, transfer-pricing, and repatriation figures are not disclosed in the available record.1

Named Entities and Evidence Map

Political: Political

Mechanism of Involvement

The political-proximity finding arises principally from ownership and governance, alongside the significance of a continuing Israeli corporate footprint. SoftBank is Arm’s parent and controlling shareholder, with majority voting power and rights to designate most board candidates while it maintains more than 70% ownership.6 Masayoshi Son is Arm Chair and SoftBank’s founder, chair, and CEO; René Haas is Arm CEO and director and also holds senior SoftBank roles.6, 24

SoftBank Vision Fund structures have invested in Israeli technology companies, including documented investments in Cybereason and reported investments in Classiq; however, these are parent-level investment relationships and do not establish Arm ownership, Arm operational control, or an Israel–Palestine political purpose.13, 14

A 2022 Friends of the IDF release records Yossi Cohen, described there as Head of SoftBank Investment Advisers in Israel, as a keynote speaker at an event for an FIDF programme associated with Israel’s Ministry of Defense and IDF Intelligence Corps. The release does not identify Cohen, SoftBank, or SoftBank Investment Advisers as a donor, sponsor, organiser, funder, or institutional partner.25

Counter-Arguments and Evidence Limits

No public evidence identified of an Arm conflict-specific statement on Israel–Palestine, Gaza, Palestinian civilian harm, the IDF, settlements, BDS, or support for the Israeli state.7, 9 SoftBank’s reviewed materials similarly contain general geopolitical-risk and human-rights language but do not state an Israel–Palestine-specific policy, donation, lobbying position, or partnership.7

No public evidence identified of Arm Israel–Palestine-specific lobbying, anti-BDS lobbying, a corporate PAC connected to the issue, or donations to FIDF, JNF/KKL, settlement organisations, military-welfare bodies, or conflict-response entities.12, 26 The Cohen/FIDF item is therefore not evidence of corporate authorization or funding.25

No public evidence identified of Arm operations, licensed-equipment sales, services, resellers, settlement-event sponsorship, or relationships with settlement municipalities in Israeli settlements or occupied territory.22, 26 The audits’ document-scoped checks also found no Arm mention in specified OHCHR, UN, BDS, and related materials; this does not establish database-wide or sector-wide absence.27

Named Entities and Evidence Map

BDS-1000 Score

Method: V6.5.

DomainIMPV-Domain Score
Military0.000.000.000.00
Digital3.507.204.502.25
Economic7.007.009.007.00
Political3.507.009.003.50

The V_MAX is driven by Economic: Arm has a documented, ongoing wholly owned Israeli system-IP development operation, physical office presence, employment arrangements, and commercial distribution channel.1, 2, 3 The lower Digital and Political scores reflect documented technology and parent-governance links, subject to the stated limits; Military is zero because direct military procurement or supply was not verified. V6.5 is scale-free, evidence-only, and human-vetted; it assesses documented activity type, scale, and directness rather than inferring liability from nationality, ownership alone, or possible downstream uses.

Methodology Note

Footnotes

  1. https://investors.arm.com/static-files/29742a1f-33e5-4320-9a45-4079efcdb321 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

  2. https://www.keil.com/distis/co/il.htm 2 3 4 5 6 7

  3. https://careers.arm.com/raanana-office 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

  4. https://www.arm.com/zh-cn/company/news/2015/07/arm-expands-iot-security-capability-with-acquisition-of-sansa-security 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

  5. https://investors.arm.com/node/7681/html 2 3 4 5 6

  6. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1973239/000197323926000097/arm-20260331.htm 2 3 4 5 6 7

  7. https://group.softbank/media/Project/sbg/sbg/pdf/ir/financials/annual_reports/annual-report_fy2025_en.pdf 2 3

  8. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1973239/000197323925000016/arm-20250331.htm 2 3 4 5 6

  9. https://investors.arm.com/static-files/0b97f8e1-ac58-4b25-84d8-9df66807ab19 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

  10. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11299879 2 3 4

  11. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1973239/000197323926000114/arm-20260630.htm 2

  12. https://iati.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Booklet-2025.pdf 2

  13. https://www.cybereason.com/press/cybereason-secures-100-million-in-funding-led-by-softbank-corp 2 3 4

  14. https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-softbank-invests-in-israeli-quantum-software-co-classiq-1001517700 2 3

  15. https://www.elbitsystems.com/networked-warfare/joint-land/soldier-systems/smart-wristview 2 3 4 5

  16. https://newsroom.arm.com/news/arm-expands-iot-security-team-in-israel

  17. https://newsroom.arm.com/blog/hailo-flexible-innovation

  18. https://investors.arm.com/static-files/0a00cdf7-a190-4469-8f0f-f92738639c20 2 3

  19. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1973239/000197323925000016/ex81-subsidiariesofarmhold.htm

  20. https://careers.arm.com/job/raanana/senior-verification-engineer/33099/92956824784

  21. https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/59/23 2

  22. https://www.arm.com/company/offices 2 3 4

  23. https://pertech.co.il/ 2

  24. https://www.arm.com/company/board 2

  25. https://myemail.constantcontact.com/West-Palm-Beach-FIDF-Event-Benefits-Program-Designed-to-Level-Gender-Gap-in-High-Tech-IDF-Units.html?aid=17sZl8jlkC0&soid=1126730957828 2 3

  26. https://lobbyingdisclosure.house.gov/lookup.asp?reg_id=39145 2 3

  27. https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/60/19