Our History

At the end of the 19th century, Theodore Ze’ev Herzl, together with several colleagues, founded the Jewish national movement, Zionism, which crystallised an age long dream of the Jewish people.

Herzl, who breathed new life into the idea of a Jewish national entity, paved the way for the establishment of the State of Israel half a century later.

To further support this nascent movement, Herzl propounded the need to create a financial institution which would serve it. This initiative led to the creation of the Jewish Colonial Trust (Otzar Hityashvuth Hayehudim) on March 20, 1899.

The Trust’s subsidiary in Palestine- the Anglo-Palestine Company (APC), was subsequently incorporated in London in 1902 and later renamed the Anglo-Palestine Bank (APB) (1930).

The APB was the forerunner to Bank Leumi.

From the opening of a branch in Jaffa in 1903, the bank played a vital role in financing the development of what was to become the State of Israel. In fact, it performed the function of the Central Bank from 1948 and until the Bank of Israel took over that role. In 1950/51 Bank Leumi-le-Israel (Leumi means National) was incorporated, and the business and assets of APB were transferred to the Head Office in Tel-Aviv.

Today, the Bank Leumi Group is a leading financial institution with significant global presence. Nevertheless, the Bank’s commitment to continually invest in building a better future for its customers, stockholders and employees remains.