Starbucks has accused the union representing thousands of baristas of damaging the brand and endangering co-workers through pro-Palestinian tweets. The CEO of a prominent tech conference has resigned after facing backlash over public statements that suggested Israel was committing war crimes. Company bosses have vowed never to hire members of university student groups who denounce Israel.
Meanwhile, Islamic rights advocates say much of the corporate response has been to minimize Suffering in GazaThousands of people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, creating a climate of fear for workers who want to express support for the Palestinians.Jewish groups criticize government for tepid or slow response Hamas goes on the rampage on October 7 Killed 1,400 people in Israel and sparked the latest war.
The fallout from Israel’s war with Hamas has spilled into workplaces everywhere, with top leaders at high-profile companies speaking out and workers complaining that their voices are not being heard. People from all walks of life are criticized for speaking too forcefully — or not forcefully enough — and when passions run high, it’s almost impossible to come up with a unified message.
Many U.S. companies have close ties to Israel, particularly technology and financial companies with operations and employees in the country.
Dozens of executives, including JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Google and Meta, were quick to condemn the Hamas attacks and express solidarity with the Israeli people in public statements, social media posts and even corporate earnings calls. Many have pledged millions of dollars in humanitarian aid and detailed efforts to protect Israeli workers.
Some CEOs poured out their personal anguish.
Post on LinkedIn and letter to employeesPfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla said he has been on the phone with friends and family in Israel and said he heard “civilians of all ages being attacked and killed in cold blood, hostages taken and tortured.” Shocked by the news. He implored employees to monitor each other and said Pfizer launched a humanitarian relief campaign.
“It is not enough to condemn these actions—we ourselves must take action,” Bourla wrote.
“I will never attend/sponsor/speak at any of your events”
Backlash over the objections was swift, including in response to a tweet from Web Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave suggesting that Israel had committed war crimes.
Former Facebook executive David Marcus said on X (formerly known as Twitter): “I will never attend/sponsor/speak at any of your events again.”
Next month’s Internet Summit, a major gathering of thousands of technology leaders across Europe, faces growing resistance. Cosgrave resigned on Saturdaysaid his “personal comments have become a distraction to the event, our team, our sponsors, our startups and participants.”
He resigned days later after posting a long message condemning the Hamas attack and apologizing for the timing of his original tweet while defending his overall view of the conflict. But companies continued to withdraw from the conference, including Google, Meta, German technology group Siemens and U.S. chipmaker Intel.
Jonathan Neman, CEO of the restaurant chain Sweetgreen, is one of several corporate leaders who have vowed never to hire Harvard students who are part of a group that co-signed a statement condemning violence in Israel.
International law firm Winston & Strawn has rescinded a job offer to a New York University student who wrote in a Student Bar Association bulletin that Israel bears full responsibility for the bloodshed.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, an Islamic civil rights group, condemned the backlash against students and statements by U.S. business leaders that “lacked any meaningful empathy for Palestinian civilians.”
The group said the reactions combined resulted in “Palestinians and those who support Palestinian human rights being isolated in the workplace and fearful of the possible consequences” from discussing how the conflict affects them.
Isra Abuhasna, a data scientist in the Chicago area and one of several professionals expressing similar thoughts on social media, said in a LinkedIn post that she expressed her views on the conflict. “Risk your entire career.”
Abu Hasna, a Palestinian-American who has worked at a real estate firm and other companies but recently took a leave of absence to care for her two young children at home, said she worries her position will make it difficult for her to find a new position. But she said her parents raised her to be proud and outspoken about the Palestinian cause.
“This is my identity,” Abu Hasna said. “What good is my job if I compromise my morals and morals?”
One tweet sparks two lawsuits
one of the biggest controversies Outbreak at Starbucks Starbucks Workers United, which represents 9,000 employees at more than 360 stores in the United States, tweeted “Solidarity with Palestine” two days after the Hamas attack. The tweet was deleted within 40 minutes, but the company said it sparked more than 1,000 complaints, vandalism in stores and angry confrontations.
Starbucks filed a lawsuit to prevent Starbucks Workers United from using its name and similar logos. Starbucks’ parent union, the United Workers Union, also responded with its own lawsuit, saying Starbucks defamed the union and suggested it supports terrorism. It wants to continue using the company name.
The United Starbucks Workers posted a longer message on Twitter on Friday condemning Israel’s “occupation” and “the threat of genocide faced by Palestinians,” while also denouncing anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.
Angela Berg, founder of workplace consultancy Perelaks, said companies with strong opinions about the war should speak out, but “the key is that they acknowledge the existence of the other side’s experience”. Berg said those who try to stand by and do nothing need to explain their reasons to employees.
As the humanitarian disaster in Gaza deepens, more and more company leaders are speaking out about the situation, including Accenture CEO Julie Sweet, who said the company would pay tribute to Israel’s Magen David AUD emergency services and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society allocated $3 million in donations.
But the company, which has kept a low profile, has faced pushback.
Allison Grinberg-Funes, who is Jewish, wrote in a LinkedIn post that she was disappointed that colleagues did not immediately come to help after Hamas attacks.
Although they eventually reached out, Greenberg-Funes said in an interview with The Associated Press that she remains disappointed that her employer, Liberty Mutual, did not publicly condemn the attacks.
The insurance company’s Boston-based content designer said the silence was part of a broader “lack of support” from the Jewish community that she and friends observed in the workplace.
“We want to know that our lives matter as much as other employees who are being supported,” said Greenberg-Funes, 33, who has family and friends in Israel.
Liberty Mutual did not respond to a request for comment.
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AP Business Writer Dee-Ann Durbin contributed to this article.
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