by ALEXANDRA OLSON, ANNE D'INNOCENZIO and HALELUYA HADERO | AP Business WritersFile - Rockets from the Israeli Iron Dome air defense system maneuver to intercept a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, Israel, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. representing thousands of its baristas of damaging the brand and endangering co-workers with a pro-Palestinian tweet.
Executives at J.P Morgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs, Google and Meta were among dozens who swiftly condemned the Hamas attacks and expressed solidarity with the Israeli people in public statements, social media posts or even corporate earning calls. Many pledged millions of dollars in humanitarian aid and detailed efforts to safeguard employees in Israel.
Jonathan Neman, CEO of restaurant chain Sweetgreen, was among several company leaders who vowed never to hire Harvard students who belonged to groups that cosigned a statement blaming Israel for the violence. Isra Abuhasna, a data scientist in the Chicago area, was among several professionals who expressed similar thoughts on social media, saying in a LinkedIn post that she was “risking her entire career” by expressing her views on the conflict.
Starbucks filed a lawsuit to stop Starbucks Workers United from using its name and a similar logo. Workers United, the parent union of Starbucks Workers United, responded with its own lawsuit saying Starbucks defamed the union by implying it supports terrorism. It wants to continue using the company name.