Audit Phase: V-POL
Target Company: Wix.com Ltd. (NASDAQ: WIX)
Audit Date: May 2026
Methodology: Evidence-based audit drawing exclusively from the research memo above. No new research conducted. Claims without primary-source corroboration in the memo are flagged accordingly. Unverified claims from prior research (e.g., IAC sponsorship, specific unit designations for Giora Kaplan and Nadav Abrahami) are excluded or flagged per memo guidance.
Wix issued no standalone public corporate statement — through its investor relations function, press office, or CEO letter — formally condemning or endorsing either side of the Israel-Gaza conflict in the manner typical of companies issuing ESG or human rights statements.45 The company’s documented external-facing posture was channeled through executive media interviews and corporate responses to third-party inquiries, rather than through proactive press releases or investor-directed communications.
Wix’s most explicit public articulation of its institutional stance came from President & COO Nir Zohar in an interview with CTech/Calcalist, in which he described the company as “patriotic, but not neutral” with respect to Israel and framed the company’s disposition as one of “shared fate” with the Israeli state.7 This represents the clearest on-record statement of corporate orientation toward the conflict from a named executive in an attributed interview.
Wix provided a formal corporate comment to the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) in November 2023, responding to inquiries about the internal “Supporting Israel Narrative” Slack channel and the termination of Courtney Carey. The company’s comment disputed characterizations of the channel as “propaganda” but did not deny its existence.45
CEO Avishai Abrahami publicly reposted social media content from NYU Professor Scott Galloway defending Israeli military conduct — characterizing Israel as “prosecuting a war more humanely” than Western powers — during the autumn 2023 Gaza bombardment.1 Co-Founder Nadav Abrahami shared social media content challenging UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s ceasefire position during the same period.1 These actions are documented in the Tech for Palestine investigative report (January 2026) and constitute the most direct publicly attributable executive advocacy on the conflict.
Wix’s communications posture on Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine stands in documented contrast to its response to the Gaza conflict. Following Russia’s invasion, Wix issued public statements and took direct operational action — suspending service to Russian users and taking down Russian-hosted sites — citing U.S. sanctions and explicitly describing Russian leadership decisions as “discrediting.”89 No comparable formal corporate condemnation, operational response, or humanitarian gesture directed toward Palestinian civil society was identified in any corporate filing, press release, or investor relations communication reviewed.1024 No formal corporate statements were identified regarding conflicts in Yemen, Sudan, or Myanmar in reviewed materials.1024
Wix’s 20-F annual filings describe Israel as the company’s primary headquarters and engineering center, frame its Israeli workforce as a core operational asset, and disclose receipt of grants from the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) as part of its R&D cost economics — without characterizing these as geopolitical partnerships.1011 Risk-factor disclosures reference potential operational disruptions from “geopolitical instability” and “military conflict” in Israel, framing these as business continuity risks rather than normative policy positions.10
Wix is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform whose core product is website-building and online business infrastructure. No evidence was identified in SEC filings, news reports, or NGO databases of Wix operating physical offices, data centers, or dedicated service contracts within Israeli settlements in the West Bank or the Golan Heights.1011 Wix’s primary Israeli operational footprint is concentrated in Tel Aviv (headquarters) and Be’er Sheva (Advanced Technologies Park); Be’er Sheva is located within Israel’s internationally recognized pre-1967 borders.12
As a global SaaS platform, Wix’s services are technically accessible to users in Israeli settlements, but no evidence of targeted commercial activity, dedicated settlement-area service contracts, or settlement-sector marketing was identified in reviewed sources.10
Wix does not appear in the UN Human Rights Council database of businesses with activities in Israeli settlements (the database established pursuant to HRC Resolution 31/36, last updated 2023). No public evidence was identified of Wix being named in any OECD National Contact Point complaint, EU regulatory action, or UN Special Rapporteur report specifically concerning operations in occupied territories.2627 No evidence was identified of litigation, arbitration, or formal regulatory inquiry in any jurisdiction specifically targeting Wix’s activities in occupied or contested territories.
Tech for Palestine published a dedicated investigative report on Wix in January 2026 and lists the company on its platform accountability index.138 The grounds cited are: corporate mobilization of company resources for the IDF war effort through the “Wix for Sword of Iron” initiative, the termination of an employee for pro-Palestinian speech, and the operation of an internal “Supporting Israel Narrative” communications channel.1 The BDS National Committee (BNC) had not, as of the research date, published a formal targeted campaign naming Wix as a primary boycott target in the same designation tier as HP, Caterpillar, or AXA; no formal BDS designation was identified in BDS movement publications reviewed. The BHRRC logged the Carey case and the “Supporting Israel Narrative” controversy as formal human rights concern entries in November 2023.45
The highest-profile internal governance incident in the reviewed record involves the November 2023 termination of Courtney Carey, a Customer Care Team Lead at Wix’s Dublin office. Carey was dismissed after posting comments on LinkedIn describing Israel as a “terrorist state” and criticizing the bombing of Gaza. Screenshots of her comments were reportedly circulated internally by colleagues to management before the termination decision was made.5622
The termination was covered by The Guardian, RTÉ News, The Jerusalem Post, and logged by the BHRRC.562223 President & COO Nir Zohar publicly characterized Carey’s views as “unfathomable, unexplainable and unacceptable” and stated they “jeopardized the relationship” between the Dublin team and Wix’s approximately 500 Israeli colleagues.67 The case drew direct comment from senior Irish political figures: then-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and then-Tánaiste Micheál Martin both publicly commented, with Varadkar calling on Wix to clarify the grounds for termination.23
Evidence gap: No evidence was identified of a formal Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) complaint or Employment Equality Tribunal case filed in Ireland arising from this termination. Irish WRC records are not fully public; this remains a live inquiry area.
An internal Slack channel named “Supporting Israel Narrative” was reported to have been created in the period following October 7, 2023, with the stated purpose of encouraging Wix employees to produce pro-Israel videos and creative campaigns.41 Internal guidance reportedly advised participants not to foreground Palestinian casualty numbers in their messaging.41 The channel’s existence and its internal guidance are documented through the BHRRC report and the Tech for Palestine investigative piece, drawing on leaked internal communications.41 Wix’s BHRRC comment disputed the characterization of the channel as “propaganda” but did not deny the channel’s existence.4 The original leak source and full channel content have not been independently verified from a news outlet publishing the primary document.
No evidence was identified of formal labor board proceedings, trade union disputes, collective bargaining actions, or additional employee disciplinary incidents related to the conflict at Wix’s Dublin, New York, or other international offices beyond the Carey case.
Wix’s publicly available Content Guidelines prohibit content that “promotes, glorifies, or celebrates acts of violence or the groups that commit them,” but contain no specific provisions addressing geopolitical conflict, occupation, or related categories.17 No independent academic studies, regulatory inquiries, or documented third-party audits of Wix’s hosting-moderation practices specifically concerning Palestinian content, Israeli settlement promotional content, or conflict-related suppression were identified in reviewed sources. No evidence was identified of formal regulatory inquiry by EU Digital Services Act authorities, Ireland’s Coimisiún na Meán, or the US FTC specifically targeting Wix’s content moderation in relation to the conflict.
Wix is a digital services company and does not manufacture, retail, or physically source products. Supply chain, product labeling, and settlement-goods categorization issues are not applicable to its core business model. No public evidence identified.
Wix does not publicly utilize military heritage, defense sector contracts, or intelligence service origins as commercial marketing themes in its consumer-facing branding or advertising. Its public brand positioning centers on ease-of-use for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and creative professionals. Nir Zohar’s former service as a naval officer (Chief Engineer on a missile boat) is documented in his professional biography on the Aleph Invested VC platform but is not deployed as a marketing theme by the company.14 The Tech for Palestine report characterizes the Unit 8200 backgrounds of the founders as a governance risk factor,1 but Wix does not market or publicly reference these backgrounds in commercial contexts.
Israel Growth Forum (IGF): Michal Sarig-Kaduri, Wix’s Head of Government Relations and a former Israeli Deputy Ambassador to Singapore, leads the Israel Growth Forum, described as a coalition of leading Israeli tech companies — including Fiverr and Similarweb — that coordinates directly with the Israeli government on technology policy.21 This constitutes the most direct documented link between a current Wix officer and an institutionalized mechanism for state-tech sector coordination.
Israel Innovation Authority (SHOW 2025): Wix VP of Design & Branding Hagit Kaufman appeared as a speaker at the “SHOW 2025” summit alongside the Chief Marketing Officer of the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA). The event is positioned as an Israeli tech-sector showcase with IIA institutional involvement.18
UK Israel Business (UKIB) Delegation: Wix is identified as a key participating company in a UK investor delegation organized by UK Israel Business, a bilateral trade promotion body.21
“Bless Your Hands” Initiative: Wix is listed as a partner/sponsor of the “Bless Your Hands” initiative, a Jordan-Israel normalization project with documented ties to the Israeli Ministry of Regional Cooperation, as reported by The Electronic Intifada (2021).20 Current status unconfirmed: the source documenting Wix’s listed sponsorship dates to 2021, and whether the relationship remains active as of 2024–2026 is unverified in reviewed sources.
“Voice of the People” Event: CEO Avishai Abrahami attended an event organized by “Voice of the People,” described as a pro-Israel public diplomacy initiative launched by Israeli President Isaac Herzog in collaboration with the World Zionist Organization (WZO) and the Jewish Agency, in autumn/winter 2023–2024.1
No evidence identified of Wix receiving formal state honors, honorary appointments, or named formal partnerships with Israeli state intelligence or military agencies.
Michal Sarig-Kaduri’s leadership of the Israel Growth Forum (IGF) constitutes a documented formal coordination role between Wix’s government relations function and Israeli government policy, serving as the most direct lobbying-adjacent activity identified in reviewed sources.21
US campaign finance records list “Wix.com LTD” as a payee in disbursement reports for multiple US political candidates, including Charles Fuentes and Nathan Boynton, under line-item categories such as “Information technology costs” or “Campaign services.”323334 These entries are consistent with candidates commercially purchasing Wix’s website-hosting product and do not constitute evidence of directed political lobbying by Wix.
No evidence was identified of Wix filing as a registered lobbyist under the US Lobbying Disclosure Act, of Wix being registered as a foreign agent under FARA, or of a Wix corporate PAC or direct corporate contributions to US political candidates or parties in FEC records reviewed. A comparable Israeli SaaS company’s (monday.com) 20-F filing references the broader sector’s US lobbying disclosure exposure; this is contextual background only and not direct evidence concerning Wix.35
The most operationally significant documented advocacy action is the “Wix for Sword of Iron” initiative (wix4swordsofiron.com), under which Wix allocated staff time and platform infrastructure to build and host over 180 websites for war-related causes, commencing within days of the October 7 attacks.231
Documented site categories within the initiative included:
Michal Sarig-Kaduri publicly described the initiative and stated Wix was receiving 30–40 project requests per day at peak.2 The initiative was reported by Jewish News UK, CTech/Calcalist, and Tech for Palestine.231
No evidence was identified of equivalent crisis asset mobilization — free platform credits, dedicated staff teams, or infrastructure provisioning — directed toward Palestinian civil society, humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza, or international bodies such as the ICRC or UNRWA during the same period.
Wix.com Ltd. is incorporated in Israel as a publicly traded company, listed on NASDAQ under the ticker WIX.1210 Its stated corporate mission across filings is commercial: to provide website creation and online business infrastructure to individuals and businesses globally. There is no evidence in its articles of incorporation, 20-F SEC filings, or public corporate charter of a state-held “golden share,” state equity stake, or founding mandate explicitly linking the company’s primary mission to Israeli state geopolitical objectives.1011
Wix discloses the receipt of grants from the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) under programs broadly available to Israeli technology companies as R&D subsidies in its annual 20-F filings.1011 These grants are subject to standard IIA conditions — including technology manufacture conditions — and are disclosed as part of Wix’s R&D cost economics.10 The specific grant amounts for post-2020 fiscal years and any conditions requiring technology-sharing with state entities were not individually extracted and confirmed from primary filings at the line-item level in reviewed sources; this remains a verification gap. The grants do not constitute state ownership or documented directional control over corporate governance.1011
The IIA’s broader mandate includes deep-tech promotion and R&D subsidy programs reported to have supported over $12 billion in Israeli tech sector funding in 2024.19 Wix VP Hagit Kaufman’s participation in an IIA-hosted event reflects a sector-level relationship consistent with grant-recipient status.18
Major institutional shareholders as disclosed in 20-F filings include standard global asset managers (Vanguard, BlackRock, and similar) alongside the founding team. No Israeli state entity appears as a material shareholder in disclosed ownership records.10 State Street Investment Management holds a position in Wix through the SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF, consistent with standard passive index exposure.36 Mangrove Capital Partners (represented on the board by Chairman Mark Tluszcz) is documented as an early institutional investor; Mangrove is a Luxembourg-based VC fund with no documented state-security mandate.1315
Avishai Abrahami (Co-Founder & CEO): Documented as a veteran of Unit 8200, the IDF’s signals intelligence unit. His Unit 8200 background is cited in the Tech for Palestine report1 and is consistent with his public biographical record.12 Unit 8200 is the IDF’s primary signals intelligence formation, as documented in contemporaneous reporting.2829 This reflects biographical history; no current operational link to Unit 8200 or any IDF intelligence function is documented in reviewed sources.
Giora Kaplan (Co-Founder): Attributed to IDF cyber intelligence service in the Tech for Palestine report.1 No independently sourced primary biography, LinkedIn profile, or interview independently confirming a specific unit assignment for Kaplan was identified in reviewed sources beyond this single attribution. This claim requires primary-source verification before being treated as confirmed.
Nadav Abrahami (Co-Founder): Same caveat as Giora Kaplan — attributed to IDF cyber intelligence service in the Tech for Palestine report.1 No independent primary-source biography confirming specific unit designation was identified in reviewed sources. Claim requires primary-source verification.
Nir Zohar (President & COO): Former Israeli Navy officer; served as Chief Engineer on a missile boat. This is documented in his professional biography on the Aleph Invested VC platform.14 No current operational link to Israeli Navy or defense establishment is documented.
No evidence was identified of personal donations by Avishai Abrahami, Giora Kaplan, Nadav Abrahami, or Nir Zohar to the FIDF, JNF, settlement organizations, or named regional advocacy groups in publicly reviewed sources (charity registries, FEC records, Israeli NGO disclosures). No family foundation associated with the Wix founders was identified in reviewed sources.
Ron Gutler (Lead Independent Director): Former Chairman of NICE Systems (now NICE Ltd.), a company specializing in analytics, surveillance, and contact center software with government and law enforcement contracts.1531 This reflects a prior professional affiliation; no current operational role at NICE is documented.
Mark Tluszcz (Chairman): Managing Partner, Mangrove Capital Partners (Luxembourg-based VC). No documented board seats or advisory roles in Israeli state-security, military, or geopolitical lobbying organizations identified.1315
Michal Sarig-Kaduri (Head of Government Relations, staff — not board): Current leadership role in the Israel Growth Forum (IGF); former Deputy Ambassador of Israel to Singapore.21
No evidence identified of Wix founders or named C-suite executives holding personal board seats at Israeli state-aligned academic institutions (e.g., Technion, Hebrew University governing boards), or formal advisory roles in US-based pro-Israel lobbying organizations (AIPAC, FIDF board, etc.), in sources reviewed.
https://updates.techforpalestine.org/wix-the-israeli-engine-behind-some-of-your-favorite-websites/ ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩
https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/website-builder-wix-helps-unite-the-worlds-support-for-israel/ ↩↩↩↩↩↩
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/skwigciq6 ↩↩↩↩
https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/ireland-wixs-alleged-company-initiative-for-employees-to-create-videos-and-creative-campaigns-to-support-israels-narrative-elicits-criticism-incl-co-comment/ ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩
https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/ireland-fears-of-chilling-effect-after-wix-fires-worker-over-pro-palestine-comments-incl-co-comment/ ↩↩↩↩↩
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-769922 ↩↩↩↩
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/hjflzzzjjl ↩↩↩↩
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/09/10/wix-website-builder-blocks-russian-users-as-us-sanctions-bite-a86321 ↩
https://au.pcmag.com/website-builders/107204/wix-to-block-russian-users-take-down-their-sites-in-wake-of-us-sanctions ↩
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1576789/000157678923000025/wix-20221231.htm ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1576789/000157678922000010/wix-20211231.htm ↩↩↩↩↩
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1576789/000117891322003807/exhibit_99-1.htm ↩↩↩
https://sra.maryland.gov/sites/main/files/file-attachments/proxy_vote_record-december_2022.pdf?1675187546 ↩
https://www.wix.com/about/content-guidelines ↩
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-879138 ↩↩
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/israels-tech-sector-surpassed-12-billion-in-2024-solidifying-its-role-as-a-scale-up-powerhouse-according-to-new-report-302353152.html ↩
https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/tamara-nassar/jordan-israel-normalization-scheme-backfires-badly ↩
https://www.timesofisrael.com/uk-investors-to-visit-israel-on-business-opportunity-quest/ ↩
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/10/wix-fires-worker-calling-israel-terrorist-state ↩↩
https://investors.wix.com/financial-information/sec-filings ↩↩
https://www.wix.com/about/privacy ↩
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde15/5141/2022/en/ ↩
https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/04/27/threshold-crossed/israeli-authorities-and-crimes-apartheid-and-persecution ↩
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-33615055 ↩
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/12/israeli-intelligence-unit-refuses-to-spy-on-palestinians ↩
https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/wix-com ↩
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NICE_Ltd. ↩
https://login.cfis.sos.state.nm.us/ReportsOutput/103/c5215b58-b77a-4b98-8ac3-762808b8aac4.pdf ↩
https://ballotpedia.org/Charles_Fuentes ↩
https://ballotpedia.org/Nathan_Boynton ↩
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1845338/000117891324000943/zk2431098.htm ↩
https://www.ssga.com/library-content/products/fund-docs/etfs/us/proxy-voting-results/spdr-portfolio-developed-world-ex-us-etf.pdf ↩
https://innovationisrael.org.il/en/ ↩
https://techforpalestine.org/ ↩
