Ford Motor Company - Digital Domain Audit

Audit date: 30 June 2026 | Research memo: 29 June 2026 | Based solely on the supplied research memo; no independent research performed.

Enterprise Technology Stack & Vendor Relationships

Israeli-Origin Cybersecurity Vendors - Ford Trucks

Cymotive Technologies

Cymotive Technologies was co-founded in 2016 by former Israeli Shin Bet Director Yuval Diskin, former Shin Bet Technology Division head Tsafrir Kats, and former Shin Bet Computing Services head Dr. Tamir Bechor ¹. In June 2022, Ford Otosan - Ford’s Turkish heavy commercial vehicle subsidiary and manufacturer of the Ford Trucks brand - contracted Cymotive to conduct cybersecurity compliance certification under UN Regulations 155 and 156 (CSMS/SUMS) ². Ford’s Israel Innovation Center in Tel Aviv served as the introduction and brokerage channel that connected Cymotive and Ford Otosan, facilitating the vendor relationship ²³. Cymotive’s revenues declined from $42.4 million in 2023 to $19.2 million in 2025 ¹. In May 2026, India’s KPIT Technologies announced a phased acquisition of Cymotive for up to $120 million ¹. The continuation of the Ford Otosan–Cymotive compliance relationship following the acquisition is not publicly confirmed.

Upstream Security

In September 2023, Ford Trucks engaged Upstream Security - an Israeli connected vehicle cybersecurity company - to provide cloud-based Vehicle Extended Detection and Response (V-XDR) capabilities, UNECE R155 regulatory compliance support, and Vehicle Security Operations Center (VSOC) monitoring across Ford Trucks’ commercial fleet spanning 48 markets ⁴. Upstream Security’s platform processes “the wide range of connected vehicle data sources collected by our OEM customers” across heavy commercial vehicle categories including tractors, construction vehicles, and distribution trucks above 16 tonnes ⁴. A joint Ford–Upstream VSOC webinar was publicly hosted, with Ford represented by its Manager of Vehicle and Mobility Cybersecurity, Darren Shelcusky ⁵. Boaz Hartal - the former director of Ford’s Israel Research Center and a retired Israeli Air Force Colonel who served as head of the IAF’s operational intelligence department - subsequently joined Upstream Security as VP Mobility & Operations ⁶⁷, making him a direct connecting figure between Ford’s Israeli R&D infrastructure and its subsequent Israeli cybersecurity vendor relationship ⁴⁶⁷.

Argus Cyber Security / PlaxidityX

Argus Cyber Security was founded in 2014 by three veterans of Israeli military intelligence Unit 8200 - Ben-Noon, Oron Lavi, and Yaron Galula - who had previously served together in the unit ⁸. Argus was acquired by Continental AG in 2017 and subsequently rebranded as PlaxidityX ⁸. In April 2024, Argus Consulting Services completed a vehicle-level penetration test on the Ford Trucks F-MAX heavy-duty truck platform in accordance with UNR 155, covering in-vehicle ECU components, network interfaces, and bidirectional backend server communications ⁹. Ford Trucks has thereby contracted three distinct Israeli cybersecurity vendors - Cymotive, Upstream Security, and Argus/PlaxidityX - across its regulatory compliance and connected vehicle security programmes ²⁴⁹.

Mobileye

Mobileye - headquartered in Jerusalem and an Intel subsidiary since 2017 - is a Tier-1 embedded component supplier to Ford ¹⁰. In July 2020, Ford and Mobileye expanded their cooperation for next-generation camera-based collision avoidance technology across Ford production vehicles, covering forward collision warning, vehicle detection, pedestrian detection, and cyclist detection using Mobileye EyeQ silicon ¹⁰. This integration operates at embedded hardware level globally across Ford’s production vehicle fleet, making it the deepest Israeli-origin technology relationship in Ford’s supply chain ¹⁰.

Mappo

In April 2021, Ford became the first automaker to integrate Mappo - an Israeli cultural travel application startup based in Tel Aviv - into its SYNC 3 and SYNC 4 in-vehicle infotainment systems, deployed across the 2021 Ford F-150, Mustang Mach-E, Bronco, and other production models ¹¹. Ford Research Center Israel brokered the deal, which was described as the Research Center’s first direct collaboration with an Israeli startup ¹¹.

Cloud Infrastructure Vendors with Israeli Government Cloud Relationships

Google Cloud - Ford’s Preferred Provider (Project Nimbus Participant)

Ford signed a six-year strategic cloud partnership with Google in February 2021, designating Google as Ford’s “preferred cloud provider” for connectivity and cloud services ¹². Ford Pro Intelligence - Ford’s commercial vehicle fleet management platform - is built on Google Cloud Bigtable and processes real-time vehicle telemetry including location data, trip history, EV charging records, driver information, vehicle diagnostics, and fuel consumption across large enterprise fleet customers ¹³. Google Cloud is a co-winner of the $1.2 billion Project Nimbus contract (2021) with the Israeli government and military ¹⁴¹⁵. Leaked Israeli government contract documents establish that Project Nimbus imposes “no restriction of any kind, including ‘permitted use’ rules” on AI and cloud services supplied, and grants Israel access to facial detection, automated image categorisation, object tracking, and sentiment analysis tools ¹⁴¹⁵. The Ford–Google Cloud partnership runs until approximately February 2027 ¹². Whether any Ford Pro Intelligence data is processed through Google Cloud’s Israel Central infrastructure region is not publicly documented.

Amazon Web Services - Transportation Mobility Cloud (Project Nimbus Participant)

Ford’s Transportation Mobility Cloud, operated through its Autonomic subsidiary, is built on AWS infrastructure and processes connected vehicle data in real time ¹³. AWS is the co-winner of the Project Nimbus contract alongside Google Cloud ¹⁵. Both providers operate local cloud sites within Israel under Project Nimbus and have agreed to supply Israeli government and military users with AI capabilities under terms that contain no restriction on type of use ¹⁴¹⁵.

10-K Cybersecurity Disclosures

Ford’s 2025 10-K cybersecurity disclosure (filed February 2025) names no specific cybersecurity vendors, referencing only framework compliance with the NIST CSF and general SIEM, EDR, and cloud monitoring capabilities without identifying specific commercial platforms or Israeli-origin technologies by name ¹⁶.

No public evidence identified of direct Ford contractual relationships with Check Point Software, Wiz, SentinelOne, CyberArk, Claroty, Verint, Nice Systems, or Radware.

Surveillance, Biometrics & Retail Technology

Ford filed a patent in September 2023 for an in-vehicle biometric surveillance system capable of collecting facial features, fingerprint data, and behavioural analysis data from individuals near or inside vehicles, with results cross-referenced against external law enforcement databases ¹⁷. The patent waspublished in March 2025 and specifies law enforcement support as an intended application ¹⁷. The system remains a filed patent with no public evidence of commercial deployment ¹⁷.

No public evidence identified of Ford deploying Israeli-origin facial recognition, biometric screening, predictive policing, social media monitoring, sentiment analysis, or workforce surveillance technologies from vendors including Trigo, BriefCam, AnyVision/Oosto, or Trax.

No public evidence identified of Israeli-origin surveillance technology reaching Ford through third-party managed security service bundles or enterprise software integrations.

Cloud Infrastructure, Data Residency & Sovereign Cloud Participation

Ford’s Own Data Centre Presence in Israel

No public evidence identified that Ford operates, leases, or co-locates data centre infrastructure within Israel.

Project Nimbus - Indirect Exposure via Primary Cloud Vendors

Ford has no direct participation in Project Nimbus. However, Google Cloud and AWS - Ford’s two primary cloud infrastructure providers - are both parties to the $1.2 billion Project Nimbus contract with the Israeli government and military ¹⁴¹⁵. Under Project Nimbus, both providers operate local cloud infrastructure within Israel and supply Israeli government and military users with AI capabilities including facial detection, automated image categorisation, object tracking, and sentiment analysis under terms that contain no restriction on type of use ¹⁴¹⁵. Ford Pro Intelligence - which processes vehicle telemetry, fleet location, driver-linked operational data, and fuel records from large enterprise fleet customers - runs on Google Cloud Bigtable ¹³. The Ford–Google Cloud preferred-provider partnership was announced as a six-year agreement in February 2021 ¹². Whether Ford Pro Intelligence data transits Google Cloud’s Israel Central region cannot be confirmed or excluded from public sources.

Israeli Subsidiary Legal Exposure

Ford operates Ford Israel Innovation Center Ltd., incorporated in Israel and therefore subject to Israeli law, including the Israeli Privacy Protection Act and Israeli Defence Export Control Law, under which Israeli authorities may lawfully access data processed by entities within Israeli jurisdiction ¹⁸. Ford’s January 2025 SEC Exhibit 21 lists only subsidiaries meeting a defined significance threshold and does not name Ford Israel Innovation Center Ltd. among them ¹⁹.

Distribution Network - OHCHR Settlement Linkage

Ford vehicles are sold and serviced in Israel exclusively through Delek Motors, a subsidiary of the Delek Group, which has served as Ford’s exclusive Israeli importer since 1999 ²⁰. The Delek Group is listed in the OHCHR database of business enterprises with activities in illegal Israeli settlements for providing services and utilities supporting the maintenance and existence of settlements, including 14 gas stations and 10 convenience stores in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Syrian Golan ²¹²². Ford Motor Company itself is not listed in the OHCHR settlement database ²¹.

Defence, Intelligence & Security Sector Technology Relationships

Ford Commercial Vehicle Platforms Militarised for IDF Deployment

Wolf APC (Ford F-550 Chassis)

The Wolf APC is built on a Ford F-550 chassis and was developed by Carmor Integrated Vehicle Solutions (formerly Hatehof) and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems ²³. Approximately 350 Wolf APCs are documented in IDF service ²³. Deployment has included military patrols near the West Bank settlements of Mitzpe Yair and Karmei Tzur and participation in house demolition operations in Palestinian villages in the Southern Hebron Hills ¹⁸²⁴. Carmor/Hatehof has been documented as operating partly from the Nitzanei Shalom settlement industrial zone in Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank ²⁵.

Segev / Border Protector UGV (Ford F-350 Chassis)

Elbit Systems converted Ford F-350 trucks into the Segev/Border Protector unmanned ground vehicles, which have been deployed around the Gaza perimeter barrier since 2016 ¹⁸²⁶. The system was fitted with a remotely operated weapon station in 2017 ¹⁸. Who Profits lists Elbit Systems as a named “business partner” of Ford ¹⁸. AFSC Investigate documents the Border Protector’s operational use in enforcing the Gaza blockade ²⁶.

Plasan SandCat Tigris (Ford F-550 Chassis)

In November 2022, the Israeli Ministry of Defence procured 50 Plasan SandCat Tigris light armoured vehicles - built on the Ford F-550 platform - in a deal exceeding NIS 50 million, with IDF delivery beginning in early 2023 and subsequent operational deployment in West Bank operations and Gaza ^27282930. Following the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023, Plasan donated its remaining SandCat Tigris stock to the IDF; IDF-published photographic documentation of a cargo plane delivery of armoured vehicles to Israel appeared on 6 December 2023 ³¹. As of October 2023, up to 700 SandCat variants were reportedly in IDF service ³¹. AFSC Investigate maintains an active profile on Plasan Sasa Ltd. documenting its manufacture of armoured vehicles used in occupied Palestinian territories ³².

2001 IDF F-350 Contract

Who Profits documents a 2001 contract - brokered via Delek Motors - for approximately 1,000 Ford F-350 trucks supplied to the IDF for approximately $40 million, funded through US military aid to Israel and comprising 750 truck replacements and 300 ambulances ²⁴.

ICJ Advisory Opinion

The ICJ Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 found Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories to be unlawful and affirmed that third states bear obligations not to render aid or assistance that maintains the situation ³³. No public evidence identified that Ford has altered its vehicle supply arrangements in Israel or its commercial relationships with Israeli military vehicle manufacturers in response to the Advisory Opinion.

Ford’s Public Position

No official Ford Motor Company statement has been identified that addresses the military adaptation or deployment of Ford vehicle platforms by the IDF. Ford’s only public statement touching on the Gaza conflict was its response to the December 2024 X/Twitter account incident, in which it claimed the account was compromised and apologised for unauthorised posts ³⁴³⁵.

AI, Algorithmic & Autonomous Systems

SAIPS Acquisition, Investment, and Closure

In August 2016, Ford acquired SAIPS AC Ltd. of Rehovot, Israel - a computer vision and machine learning company - for “several tens of millions of dollars,” marking Ford’s first Israeli acquisition ³⁶. SAIPS’s technology portfolio at acquisition included image and video processing algorithms, deep neural networks for object detection, tracking, segmentation, and pattern recognition, as well as positioning, 3D processing, prediction, video intelligence, and “automatic high-resolution 3D city mapping technology” ³⁷. In November 2018, Ford invested an additional $12–12.5 million in a new SAIPS division to develop autonomous vehicle decision-making systems using reinforcement learning, led by Prof. Shie Mannor of Technion–Israel Institute of Technology and staffed with four Technion PhD graduates from Mannor’s laboratory ³⁸³⁷³⁹. SAIPS operated as a wholly-owned Ford subsidiary within Ford’s Research Center Israel ¹⁸⁴⁰.

In September 2023, Ford closed SAIPS, making approximately 60 employees redundant, as part of its broader exit from autonomous vehicle development following the October 2022 closure of Argo AI ⁴⁰⁴¹. At the time of closure, Ford stated it would continue its “commitment to and involvement in the Israel innovation and technology community through the Ford Research Center located in Tel Aviv” ⁴⁰.

No public evidence identified that SAIPS-derived computer vision systems, city mapping technology, or reinforcement learning models were supplied to Israeli state, military, or security bodies.

No public evidence identified of Ford AI or machine learning models trained on civilian population data, intercepted communications, or surveillance-derived datasets originating from Israel or occupied Palestinian territories.

No public evidence identified of Ford supplying autonomous target generation, automated threat detection, or unmanned tracking system capabilities to Israeli military or security agencies.

Technology Ecosystem & R&D Footprint

Ford Research Center Israel / Ford Israel Innovation Center Ltd.

Ford established the Ford Research Center Israel in June 2019 in Tel Aviv, in the Adgar360 Building at 2 Hashlosha Street ⁴². The Research Center’s declared focus areas included connectivity, sensors, automated systems, in-vehicle monitoring, cybersecurity, autonomous vehicles, AI, smart cities, and robotics ¹⁸⁴⁰. Ford Israel Innovation Center Ltd. is documented as an active Ford subsidiary ¹⁸. The Research Center remained open following the September 2023 SAIPS closure per Ford’s contemporaneous public statement, with Ford affirming its continued commitment to Israel’s technology community at that time ⁴⁰⁴¹.

Director: Col. (ret.) Boaz Hartal

The Research Center’s inaugural director was Col. (ret.) Boaz Hartal, a retired Israeli Air Force officer with approximately 30 years of military service, most recently as head of the Israeli Air Force’s operational intelligence department ⁶⁷. Following his departure from Ford’s Israeli directorship, Hartal joined Upstream Security as VP Mobility & Operations ⁶⁷ - the same Israeli company that Ford Trucks subsequently contracted for fleet cybersecurity and VSOC services in September 2023 ⁴⁵.

Unit 8200 Alumni Accelerator Partnership

Since September 2021, the Ford Innovation Center has provided financial support - through the Ford Fund in Israel - to the 8200 IMPACT accelerator programme ⁴³⁴⁴. The 8200 IMPACT programme is administered by the 8200 Alumni Association, comprising veterans of Israel’s Unit 8200 military intelligence and signals intelligence unit ⁴³⁴⁴. According to the Jerusalem Post citing the Research Center director, Ford works with Unit 8200 alumni companies to “integrate their advanced technologies into Ford’s products and services globally” ⁴⁴. The 8200 IMPACT accelerator had raised over $58 million across six cohorts as of September 2021 ⁴³. No public announcement of discontinuation of Ford Fund’s support for the programme post–7 October 2023 has been identified.

SAIPS Technion Collaboration

Ford’s November 2018 SAIPS investment included a formal academic collaboration with Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, embedding Prof. Shie Mannor’s reinforcement learning research group in SAIPS and bringing four Technion PhD graduates into Ford-employed research roles ³⁸³⁷³⁹. Intellectual property generated through the collaboration is held by Ford ³⁷. No public evidence identified of additional patent co-development or research agreements between Ford and Hebrew University, Weizmann Institute, or other Israeli academic institutions beyond the SAIPS–Technion collaboration.

Mappo and MakeItDriveable Startup Pipeline

Ford Research Center Israel brokered the April 2021 integration of Mappo (Tel Aviv) into Ford SYNC 3 and SYNC 4 in-vehicle infotainment systems, making Ford the first automaker to deploy Mappo in production vehicles ¹¹. The Ford MakeItDriveable Challenge - an Israel-origin startup scouting competition - served as the discovery and qualification pipeline through which the Mappo partnership was identified ¹¹.

Civil Society Scrutiny & Regulatory History

NGO and Civil Society Investigations

Who Profits

Who Profits maintains an active company profile for Ford Motor Company documenting: the Plasan SandCat Tigris (Ford F-550 chassis) IDF procurement and deployment in 2022–2023; the Segev/Border Protector UGV (Ford F-350, Elbit Systems, since 2016); the Wolf APC (Ford F-550, Carmor/Hatehof); the 2001 IDF F-350 truck contract (~$40 million); and Elbit Systems’ designation as a Ford “business partner” ¹⁸²⁴. Who Profits has published a dedicated report entitled “Ford’s Sales to the Israeli Army” ²⁴.

AFSC Investigate

AFSC Investigate maintains an active profile on Ford Motor Company documenting Ford F-550 and F-350 platform use in IDF operations, the Segev/Border Protector UGV, the Wolf APC, and Ford’s US prison and ICE vehicle contracts ²⁶. AFSC separately documents Plasan Sasa Ltd.’s manufacture of armoured vehicles used in occupied Palestinian territories ³².

Corporate Occupation

A 2013 report by Corporate Occupation documented the deployment of Ford vehicles - specifically F-550 trucks retrofitted with water cannon - by Israeli security forces during operations in Palestinian villages including Nabi Saleh in the West Bank ²⁵.

OHCHR Settlement Database

Ford Motor Company is not listed in the OHCHR database of business enterprises with activities in illegal Israeli settlements ²¹²². The Delek Group - Ford’s exclusive Israeli importer and distributor - is listed in the OHCHR settlement database for providing services and utilities supporting the maintenance and existence of settlements across the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Syrian Golan ²¹²². Ford vehicles are sold and serviced in Israel exclusively through Delek Motors, a Delek Group subsidiary ²⁰.

December 2024 X/Twitter Incident

On 30 December 2024, Ford’s official X/Twitter account published posts including “Free Palestine,” “Israel is a terrorist state,” and “ALL EYES ON GAZA” ³⁴³⁵. The posts were deleted within hours; Ford stated the account had been “briefly compromised” and that the posts were “not authorized or posted by Ford” ³⁵. Ford subsequently issued an apology to those offended by the posts ³⁵. The incident attracted press coverage in Newsweek and the Jewish Telegraph Agency ³⁴³⁵. No subsequent Ford public statement on its position regarding the conflict has been identified.

Ford Israel Website Content

As of December 2024, Ford’s Israeli consumer website - operated by Delek Motors - contained a link to the “Bring Them Home Now” campaign website, which calls for the return of Israeli hostages by “any means necessary” ⁴⁵. Ford did not publicly address this website content separately from its response to the X account incident ⁴⁵.

Boycott, Divestment, and Historical Policy

No active BDS campaign specifically targeting Ford Motor Company’s technology relationships with Israel was identified in current sources. Ford has maintained an unbroken commercial presence in Israel since at least the 1960s; in 1975, Ford publicly stated in response to Arab League boycott pressure: “We are going to continue doing business in Israel” ⁴⁶. This policy has not been publicly reversed.

Regulatory and Legal Actions

No public evidence identified of OECD National Contact Point complaints, export control investigations, sanctions inquiries, or regulatory actions specifically concerning Ford’s technology sales, vehicle supply to Israeli state entities, or R&D activities conducted in Israel or the occupied Palestinian territories.

End Notes