Palantir CEO says he is ‘most publicly supportive’ of Israel

Alex Karp said Wednesday he is “the most publicly supportive CEO of Israel,” while claiming to privately raise criticism with Israeli officials about policies he does not support.

Speaking in an interview with the CNBC broadcaster, Karp said he believed Israel remains an important US partner, even if Washington and Tel Aviv are not “fully aligned.”

“I think Israel is on the side of good,” said Karp. “In private, because I’m known there to be fair, I’m probably also the most effective critic.”

Asked about a perceived gap between the US position and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stance following a ceasefire with Iran last month, Karp said it was natural that Israel and the US would “never be fully aligned.”

“My position is they are a very important partner, and we are proud to support them,” he said.

Karp stopped short of voicing criticism of Israel publicly, saying he was concerned his words could be distorted.

“There are many legitimate criticisms of Israel and every other country,” he said, claiming that many critics of Israel “just don’t believe it should exist.”

Asked about the memorandum of understanding with Iran signed electronically on June 14, Karp declined to comment on how it might affect Israel.

“America has to rep its own interest,” he said, adding that some details related to the agreement that have not yet been made public “would be comforting to people” if released.

“And I’ll leave it at that,” he added.

Palantir, the US software company co-founded by billionaire Peter Thiel, has faced criticism for its work with the Israeli military and the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.

The Miami-based company has expanded its defense and military intelligence work through AI-powered platforms used by the Israeli military, with reports and expert assessments linking its technologies to operations in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and against Iran.

The company, which has denied allegations that its technology was directly used in Israeli attacks on Gaza, reached a strategic cooperation agreement with Israeli defense officials in January 2024 and later said it would provide AI-based support for “war-related missions.”

ANEWS wp:paragraph