Zadik Bino owns Paz and First International Bank. Delek Israel is a real estate holding company, distinct from the larger Delek Group. Sonol has changed hands four times since 1981. The ownership map of Israel's gas stations.
Israel's fuel retail market is dominated by two banking-and-real-estate families, one of whom also happens to own First International Bank and two supermarket chains, and a third company that spent 2007 outbidding a rival in a marathon government auction to take total control of the country's central fuel-storage terminals.
Paz: Zadik Bino's Fuel-to-Banking Empire
Paz Oil Company, Israel's largest fuel retailer (TASE: PZOL), has been majority-owned by businessman Zadik Bino since 1999, with the Liberman family and other groups holding minority stakes. Paz operates gas stations, LPG and home natural gas through subsidiary PazGaz, and convenience stores and cafes through its Yellow brand, while also owning supermarket chains Freshmarket and Super Yuda. In 2006, Paz won a tender to acquire the Ashdod Oil Refineries for NIS 3.5 billion, forcing the breakup of Israel's prior oil-refining monopoly and making Paz the country's most powerful energy company. Bino's fuel wealth sits alongside his separate control of First International Bank of Israel (FIBI), giving him a rare direct line between Israel's energy retail and banking sectors.
Delek Israel: The Company That Bought the Country's Fuel-Storage Backbone
Delek Israel Fuel Company, the retail gas-station arm operating under the Delek brand with its Menta convenience-store chain, is a separate corporate entity from the larger, Yitzhak Tshuva-controlled Delek Group, whose NewMed Energy subsidiary holds stakes in Israel's offshore gas fields. Delek Group itself, however, is the company behind the 2007 acquisition referenced above: in a marathon, five-and-a-half-hour live government auction, Delek Israel Fuel Corp. outbid rival Dor Alon to buy Pi Glilot Oil & Pipe Terminals, the state-owned company holding Israel's central fuel-storage terminals in Ashdod, Jerusalem, and Beer Sheva, for NIS 800 million, according to Haaretz's reporting on the auction. The deal, completed on August 1, 2007, gave Delek roughly 40% of Israel's total fuel storage capacity in one transaction, ending an arrangement in which control of the terminals had been split among Paz, Delek, Sonol, and the state.
Around 195 Menta convenience stores operate at Delek gas stations, with the land under 53 of them owned by sister company Delek Properties. Delek Group has since sold down much of its Delek Israel stake, retaining roughly 25% as of recent disclosures.
Sonol: A Century-Old Brand, Now Under David Wiessman's Fund
Sonol, founded in 1917 and one of Israel's oldest energy brands, operates more than 230 gas stations and roughly 200 convenience stores under its So Good brand, wholly owning subsidiaries Sprint Motors and Sprint Transport. Sonol's ownership has moved through several hands: acquired by Granite Hacarmel Investments in 1981, brought under the Azrieli Group's control of Granite Hacarmel in 2006, and then sold outright in July 2016 to the Israel Oil & Gas Fund LP, an investment vehicle controlled by David (Dudi) Wiessman, according to Dun's 100's company profile of Sonol. Wiessman had separately bid against Tshuva for the Pi Glilot terminals in 2007, losing by roughly NIS 20 million.
The Military Fuel Contracts Behind the Brands
Both Delek Israel and Sonol won a joint 2020 tender, worth hundreds of millions of shekels annually, to supply fueling services for the Israeli Ministry of Defense and military vehicles at civilian stations; that contract was expanded in 2024 and remains active through at least 2025, extending a military-refueling relationship Wikipedia's entry on Delek Group traces back to at least 2013. Paz, separately, is one of two main suppliers of jet fuel to the Israeli Air Force, under a Ministry of Defense contract initially signed in 2017 and extended through the end of 2026, alongside supplying fuel to the Israeli Police and Israel Aerospace Industries.
The Map, at a Glance
| Company | Controlling Owner | Notable Holding |
|---|---|---|
| Paz | Zadik Bino, majority owner since 1999 | Also owns FIBI bank and Freshmarket / Super Yuda supermarkets; main IAF jet-fuel supplier |
| Delek Israel | Delek Group (~25%) and other holders | Distinct from Delek Group's NewMed Energy gas-field stakes; Delek Group bought the Pi Glilot storage terminals in 2007 |
| Sonol | Israel Oil & Gas Fund LP (David Wiessman), since July 2016 | Previously under Granite Hacarmel / Azrieli Group control (1981 to 2016) |
| Dor Alon | Fourth major brand | Pioneer of Israeli gas-station convenience stores (Alonit, Si Espresso) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Paz Oil Company?
Zadik Bino has held majority ownership of Paz since 1999, alongside minority stakes held by the Liberman family and other investors. Bino also owns First International Bank of Israel.
Is Delek Israel the same company as the Delek Group?
No. Delek Israel, the retail gas-station brand, is a separate company from the larger Delek Group controlled by Yitzhak Tshuva, whose NewMed Energy subsidiary holds Israeli offshore gas interests. Delek Group retains roughly 25% of Delek Israel.
Who controls Israel's central fuel-storage terminals?
Delek Group acquired the Pi Glilot storage terminals in Ashdod, Jerusalem, and Beer Sheva in a 2007 government privatization auction for NIS 800 million, consolidating roughly 40% of national fuel-storage capacity under one owner.
Do Israeli gas station chains supply the military?
Yes. Delek Israel and Sonol jointly won a 2020 government tender to fuel military vehicles at civilian stations, and Paz is one of two main suppliers of jet fuel to the Israeli Air Force.
Sources
Wikipedia, Paz Oil Company; Haaretz, "Delek Buys Pi Glilot" (2007); Wikipedia, Delek Group; Wikipedia, Sonol; Dun's 100, Sonol Israel Ltd. company profile; Sonol, company overview.
