Overview

• The Israel-Hamas conflict has caused divisions among corporate America, with various companies taking varied stances on the issue, leading to controversies and even boycotts.
• Starbucks faced backlash and a lawsuit after a union representing its workers tweeted support for Palestine, leading to more than 1,000 complaints, acts of vandalism, and angry confrontations in its stores.
• Company executives have expressed personal anguish over the conflict with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla launching a humanitarian relief campaign after expressing horror at the violence in Israel.
• Some U.S. corporations with strong ties to Israel, including J.P Morgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs, Google, and Meta, swiftly condemned the Hamas attacks, pledged millions in humanitarian aid, and detailed efforts to safeguard their employees in Israel.
• Backlash against opposing views was swift, with a notable instance being the boycott of a prominent tech conference, the Web Summit, after its CEO suggested Israel was committing war crimes.
• Disputes over the conflict have also affected hiring processes, as evidenced by Sweetgreen's CEO Jonathan Neman vowing never to hire members of student groups that blamed Israel for the violence.