Ernst & Young POLITICAL

Target: Ernst & Young (EY) Research date: 22 October 2026 Evidence period: 2014–2026 Domain: Political

Corporate Communications & Public Stance

Israel-Palestine communications

In a corporate publication responding to events following October 2023, EY Israel stated that its personnel and offices were mobilized to assist Israeli communities, businesses, government institutions and military personnel. The publication describes financial contributions, volunteer activities, cybersecurity assistance, logistics coordination and support for Israeli soldiers. The precise publication date was not established from the retrieved page.¹

EY Israel’s public description of its activities explicitly identifies Israeli military beneficiaries, including soldiers receiving equipment and the artillery unit Zik. The same publication describes assistance to civilians displaced from southern Israel.¹

Comparative public statements

On 13 July 2022, EY issued a statement concerning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, describing the conflict as a “shocking and abhorrent war.” EY announced that its global organization would cease serving Russian government clients, state-owned enterprises and sanctioned entities and would separate its Russian member firm from the global network. It also described financial, relocation, immigration and logistical assistance for affected Ukrainian employees and communities.²

The published July 2022 Ukraine statement documents a global service-restriction decision and humanitarian response, while EY Israel’s post-October 2023 communication documents assistance directed to Israeli civilians, government institutions and military personnel.^{1, 2}

No public evidence identified in the reviewed material of an equivalent EY global announcement terminating Israeli government engagements or restructuring EY Israel because of the Gaza conflict.

Market framing

EY’s official Israel website describes its Israeli business as providing assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. It presents EY Israel as part of the international EY professional-services network and links its operations to economic development, audit quality and client service.³

EY Israel also markets advisory services for obtaining Israeli government innovation and research funding, including support associated with the Israel Innovation Authority and other government financing programmes.⁴

Comparative historical evidence

[pre-2020] On 7 January 2014, Taglit-Birthright Israel announced that Ernst & Young had conducted an economic-impact study estimating that Taglit-Birthright Israel and its participants contributed US$825 million to Israel’s economy during the programme’s first 13 years. The announcement described spending associated with tourism, transportation, accommodation and other programme activities. Continued EY involvement in the programme after 2014 is unknown.⁵

Operations in Occupied or Contested Territories

Territorial presence

EY’s official office directory identifies locations in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem, including an office at 8 Hartom Street in the Har Hotzvim district of Jerusalem. These locations appear in EY’s currently published office directory.⁶

EY Israel’s national website separately identifies its Tel Aviv professional-services office and describes its local assurance, tax, transaction and advisory operations.³

No public evidence identified establishing that the listed EY offices are located inside Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

No public evidence identified of EY-owned physical facilities, settlement-based branches or separately identified settlement-specific contracts in the reviewed records.

Government and institutional operations

In its account of activities following October 2023, EY Israel reported that its consulting teams collaborated with the Israel National Cyber Directorate to identify and report security breaches. EY stated that the identified breaches were subsequently addressed. The source does not disclose the affected systems, contractual terms or whether the work was paid or voluntary.¹

EY Israel’s innovation advisory offering describes assistance to companies seeking research, development and innovation financing through Israeli governmental and international funding mechanisms. The published service description does not establish that EY directly received government grants or supported a particular military project.⁴

Legal and regulatory scrutiny

No public evidence identified in the reviewed material establishing that Ernst & Young was named in an OHCHR settlement-enterprise database entry or directly accused in a published UN settlement-business listing.

No public evidence identified of a court judgment establishing EY liability for settlement-related activities.

Civil-society campaigns

No public evidence identified of an organized, EY-specific BDS campaign, divestment resolution or sanctions designation in the reviewed material.

No public evidence identified of an EY corporate response to a formal campaign specifically seeking divestment from its Israeli operations.

Internal Governance, Content & Retail Policies

Employee relations and political expression

On 17 May 2025, Cecilia Culver, a George Washington University graduate employed by EY, delivered a commencement speech addressing the war in Gaza, Palestinian suffering and institutional financial responsibility. Following the speech, her employment with EY ended, and the matter became the subject of federal litigation.⁷

In April 2026, Culver filed a civil-rights complaint in the US District Court for the District of Columbia against Ernst & Young LLP, Ernst & Young U.S. LLP, George Washington University and several individuals. The complaint bears case number 1:2026-cv-01290, and the publicly available amended filing is stamped 16 April 2026.⁸

Bloomberg Law reported on 16 April 2026 that Culver alleged her dismissal was unlawful and connected to statements concerning Gaza during her graduation speech. Her complaint invoked federal and District of Columbia civil-rights protections. These remain allegations made in litigation.⁹

HR Grapevine reported on 20 April 2026 that Culver alleged EY placed her on administrative leave shortly after the speech and terminated her employment several days later. The publication also reported her allegation that EY employees expressing opposing political positions had received different treatment. These claims were not established as judicial findings in the reviewed material.¹⁰

The publicly available complaint documents Culver’s allegations and identifies the defendants in the federal proceedings. No public evidence identified in the replacement source establishing the subsequent service-related filings in June 2026 or a final judicial determination of the allegations.⁸

Other employee policies

No public evidence identified establishing a company-wide EY policy restricting Palestinian symbols, Palestinian flags, keffiyehs or participation in lawful pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

No public evidence identified of EY litigation against trade unions specifically over Palestine-related collective action.

No public evidence identified establishing the precise terms of EY Israel’s reservist salary continuation, military leave or employee-donation matching policies.

Platform and editorial policies

No public evidence identified of EY operating a consumer social-media platform or applying Palestine-specific content-moderation rules.

No public evidence identified of an EY-controlled algorithmic moderation system suppressing Palestinian political speech.

Retail and supply-chain policies

No public evidence identified of EY operating consumer retail product-labeling policies concerning Israeli settlements.

No public evidence identified of EY regulatory proceedings concerning the mislabeling of settlement-origin consumer products.

Brand Heritage & State Partnerships

Brand heritage

EY’s published network description identifies the organization as an international network of professional-services firms coordinated by Ernst & Young Global Limited. Its described activities encompass assurance, consulting, taxation and related professional services rather than a stated military or state-security founding mandate.¹¹

No public evidence identified of EY marketing itself as a company founded by an Israeli military or intelligence agency.

Israel National Cyber Directorate

In its wartime-support publication, EY Israel states that its consulting teams worked with the Israel National Cyber Directorate and helped identify security breaches. The publication does not specify whether the relationship continued after the immediate wartime-response period or whether services were provided under a formal procurement contract.¹

Israeli military-unit relationship

EY Israel publicly describes a longstanding relationship with Zik, a special unit of the Israeli Artillery Corps. EY states that it sent the unit food treats and other necessities and describes the unit as one the firm had supported for many years. The exact relationship start date and its status after the documented wartime initiative remain unknown.¹

Government-sponsored and cultural programmes

[pre-2020] The January 2014 announcement by Taglit-Birthright Israel credited Ernst & Young with an economic-impact study of the programme. The announcement describes Taglit-Birthright Israel’s historical partnership with the Israeli government and other institutional supporters. EY’s role established by this source is the preparation of the economic study; continuation after 2014 is unknown.⁵

Government honors and sponsorships

No public evidence identified of EY receiving an Israeli state honor specifically for supporting military operations or settlement activity.

No public evidence identified of EY corporate sponsorship of a settlement-expansion event.

Lobbying, Advocacy, Financing & Logistics

Political lobbying

No public evidence identified of an EY corporate lobbying filing specifically seeking legislation to restrict the Palestinian boycott movement or support Israeli settlement expansion.

No public evidence identified of a disclosed EY political-action-committee payment specifically designated for Israel-Palestine policy advocacy.

No public evidence identified establishing that EY Global or EY Israel directly held an institutional leadership position in AIPAC, CFI, FIDF, JNF/KKL or a settlement-advocacy organization.

Military-related financial contributions

In its public account of its post-October 2023 response, EY Israel states: “We have raised donations to purchase equipment for IDF soldiers.” The publication does not specify the equipment categories, transaction dates, amounts collected or legal identities of the ultimate recipients.¹

The same publication states that EY Global donated US$2 million to civilian organizations financially supporting residents displaced from the Gaza-surrounding region and IDF combatants. The disclosed figure covers the combined beneficiary description; the publication does not identify an allocation between civilian and military-related assistance.¹

Military-welfare and material assistance

EY Israel reports sending food treats and necessities to Zik, a special unit of the Israeli Artillery Corps. It describes the relationship as longstanding. The publication does not provide a financial valuation or an independently verifiable continuation date beyond the documented initiative.¹

EY Israel also reports transforming office classrooms into accommodation for soldiers and assisting with an operations center involving Israeli airline executives to facilitate the return of Israelis from overseas who had been called up for military service.¹

Logistics and organizational partnerships

EY Israel states that it helped establish a logistics center with Alon & Ella Association to package and deliver supplies for southern Israeli communities and the IDF. The publication does not specify the total volume of goods delivered or the relative allocation between civilian and military recipients.¹

EY Israel additionally reports donating dozens of laptops to Sheba Medical Center and other nonprofit organizations assisting displaced Israeli residents. The reported recipients and purpose distinguish these donations from the separate disclosure concerning purchases of equipment for soldiers.¹

Cybersecurity resource mobilization

EY Israel reports professional assistance by its consulting teams to the Israel National Cyber Directorate, including identification and reporting of security breaches. No public evidence identified in the reviewed disclosure of offensive cyber operations or direct involvement in military intelligence collection.¹

Military donation framework

A 10 September 2023 Israeli military publication describes procedures for receiving charitable contributions and working with organizations supporting soldiers. It identifies formal donation-approval arrangements and organizations authorized to raise funds for Israeli military personnel. The document provides context for military fundraising procedures but does not itself identify EY as a participant.¹²

Constructive-notice chronology

The EY Israel publication documents a wartime-support response associated with events beginning in October 2023. It does not provide sufficiently precise transaction dates to establish whether the disclosed financial contributions, Zik support, cybersecurity assistance or logistical activities continued after 19 July 2024 or after the ICC warrants issued in November 2024.¹

No public evidence identified establishing a specific EY military-related donation or settlement sponsorship dated after either of those milestones.

Settlement-directed financing

No public evidence identified of a verified EY corporate donation to Regavim, Im Tirtzu, a settlement municipality or a specifically identified West Bank settlement-financing vehicle.

Corporate Structure & Primary Mission

Global organization

EY states that its worldwide organization is a network of separate legal entities and that Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, serves as a central coordinating organization. EY further states that EYG does not provide client services and does not own equity interests in its member firms.¹¹

EY’s governance description identifies member-firm responsibility for individual engagements and explains that member firms maintain distinct legal identities even while following shared network strategies, standards and policies.¹¹

Primary commercial mission

EY’s official description identifies assurance, tax, transactions, advisory and consulting as its main professional-services activities. Its Israeli website applies this commercial-services description to the local Israeli practice.³

EY Israel’s published advisory offerings include assistance with government research and innovation incentives, alongside other conventional business advisory services.⁴

No public evidence identified of a foundational EY corporate charter explicitly directing the organization to advance Israeli geopolitical objectives.

No public evidence identified of an Israeli government golden share or state ownership interest in Ernst & Young Global Limited.

Attribution of Israeli activities

EY’s published network structure establishes that member firms are separate legal entities, while the Israeli firm’s wartime publication expressly distinguishes certain local EY Israel activities from the US$2 million contribution it attributes to EY Global.^{1, 11}

Executive & Leadership Footprint

Global leadership

EY’s published Global Executive roster identifies Janet Truncale as Global Chair and CEO and names other global leaders responsible for client service, growth, administration and service lines.¹³

EY’s biographical profile identifies Truncale’s prior leadership responsibilities within EY’s financial-services organization and records external board and institutional affiliations, including Women’s World Banking and UNICEF USA. The profile does not identify an Israeli military-welfare, settlement-advocacy or FIDF board position.¹⁴

EY Israel leadership

EY Israel’s published leadership directory identifies Yuval Ganani and Noam Canetti as Co-CEOs and Sharon Shulman as Chair.¹⁵

On 14 July 2026, Bizportal reported the appointments of Ganani and Canetti as part of an EY Israel leadership succession planned around 2027, with Shulman moving into the chairmanship.¹⁶

Calcalist independently reported the July 2026 leadership transition, identifying Ganani and Canetti as the incoming joint leaders and Shulman as Chair.¹⁷

EY Israel’s assurance leadership directory also lists Noam Canetti as a Co-CEO associated with the technology, life-sciences and venture-capital practice, alongside additional assurance partners.¹⁸

Personal philanthropy

No public evidence identified of verified personal donations by Janet Truncale, Sharon Shulman, Yuval Ganani or Noam Canetti to FIDF, JNF/KKL, Regavim, Im Tirtzu or a named Israeli settlement organization.

No public evidence identified of a documented family-foundation grant by these individuals specifically financing Israeli military equipment or settlement development.

Public statements and advocacy

EY Israel’s official wartime-support publication refers collectively to EY personnel, partners and managing directors participating in assistance initiatives, without identifying the individual decision-makers authorizing each contribution.¹

No public evidence identified of an individually attributable public statement by the identified EY Global or EY Israel leaders personally endorsing Israeli settlement expansion.

No public evidence identified of a named EY executive personally lobbying for legislation targeting Palestinian civil-society organizations.

Board memberships and affiliations

EY identifies Janet Truncale’s external institutional and board affiliations in her official biography, including financial-inclusion and humanitarian organizations. The retrieved biography does not identify membership of an Israeli settlement organization or Israeli military-welfare board.¹⁴

No public evidence identified of a verified personal board seat held by the identified EY Global or EY Israel leaders at FIDF, Regavim, Im Tirtzu or an Israeli settlement authority.