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Everything You Need to Know About Danish Pension Funds Divesting $25 Billion From Israel

danish-25b-pension-fund-divests-israel-gaza-genocide

European pension funds are sending a powerful message: profiting from genocide and occupation is unacceptable. In September 2025, AkademikerPension, a $25 billion Danish teachers’ and academics’ pension fund, announced it would divest from Israeli state assets over the ongoing war in Gaza and illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank. Days earlier, Denmark’s Pædagogernes Pension (PBU) also sold off millions in shares from companies tied to Israeli settlements.

Here’s everything you need to know about this growing financial boycott.

🇩🇰 Denmark’s Teachers Take a Stand

AkademikerPension, which manages the pensions of more than 160,000 Danish teachers and university lecturers, declared that it would no longer invest in Israeli government bonds or state-owned companies.

CEO Jens Munch Holst explained the reasoning:

“This comes as an assessment of the State of Israel’s ability to uphold human rights.” (Reuters)

The fund controls about 157 billion Danish crowns ($24.7 billion) and said the decision was directly tied to Israel’s war in Gaza and its violations of international humanitarian law.

💥 What Triggered the Divestment

The announcement came just a week into Israel’s intensified ground offensive in Gaza City, where the UN formally declared famine in August 2025.

  • More than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
  • At least 367 children have died from hunger and malnutrition. (UN, Gaza Health Ministry)
  • Israeli ministers, including Bezalel Smotrich, have openly supported besieging Gaza with “no water, no electricity” until people “die of hunger or surrender.”

Against this backdrop, AkademikerPension concluded it could not continue financing Israel’s state institutions.

📉 PBU Also Divests From Settlement-Linked Companies

Denmark’s PBU (Pædagogernes Pension), which manages early childhood teachers’ pensions, also made a bold move in August 2025. The fund sold DKK 642 million ($92 million) worth of shares in:

  • Booking Holdings
  • Airbnb
  • Expedia

These companies all listed properties in illegal West Bank settlements, which the UN has ruled violate international law.

PBU’s CEO Sune Schackenfeldt stated:

“We cannot silently watch as innocent children are subjected to malnutrition and hunger.” (IPE)

🌍 Growing European Momentum

Denmark is not alone. Norway’s $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the largest in the world, recently announced it would divest from five Israeli banks over settlement activity. Norway’s finance minister emphasized that the fund must not contribute to violations of international law.

This shows a broader trend: Europe’s largest investors are under pressure to align portfolios with human rights standards and cut ties with Israeli occupation.

🔑 Why This Matters

These divestments are historic because:

  1. Size and Influence – Pension funds represent the savings of millions of workers. When they move billions out of Israeli assets, it creates financial and political pressure.
  2. First Western Precedent – Spain, Norway, and now Denmark are building momentum for Western states and institutions to align with the global BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement.
  3. Moral Clarity – These decisions openly call Israel’s actions genocide and human rights violations. This language matters for shaping global opinion.

✅ What You Can Do

You do not need billions to make a difference. Every choice counts.

  1. Boycott Complicit Brands
    Use the Boycat App to scan and avoid brands that profit from occupation and war.
  2. Switch to Ethical Services
    If you need digital privacy, use BuycatVPN, a safe zero-logs VPN built by our community, instead of Israeli-linked providers like ExpressVPN or HolaVPN.
  3. Share the Story
    Talk about these divestments. If pension funds can act, so can we. Spread the word on social media.
  4. Push Local Funds and Institutions
    Ask your own pension fund, university, or workplace: are you invested in Israeli companies? If yes, demand divestment.

🗣️ Final Word

Denmark’s teachers and early childhood educators have made history by saying no to profiting from genocide. Their divestments prove that even powerful financial institutions cannot ignore the reality of Gaza’s suffering and the illegality of Israel’s settlements.

This is not just about money. It is about principle. Every dollar, euro, or krone pulled away from occupation is one step closer to justice for Palestine.

📚 Sources

  • Reuters – “Danish teachers’ pension fund to divest from Israeli state assets over Gaza, settlements,” Sep 2025
  • Times of Israel – “Danish pension fund divests from Israeli assets over Gaza genocide,” Sep 2025
  • ILKHA – “Danish pension fund divests from Israeli assets over Gaza genocide,” Sep 2025
  • IPE – “Danish pension fund PBU divests Booking, Airbnb, Expedia on Israel links,” Aug 2025
  • United Nations – Reports on Gaza famine, West Bank settlements, Resolution 2334
  • Gaza Health Ministry – Casualty reports