While neutrality is seen as the prudent course of action in the face of conflict, a number of global corporations have opted to pick a side in the ongoing war between the Israelis and Palestinians following the Hamas attacks last October 7th.
For the most part, American corporations chose to side with Israel, seeing it as the victim of Hamas’ attacks which seemed to come out of nowhere when they occurred. Indeed, around 80 of the country’s best-known companies have decried the attacks, referring to them as the work of terrorists.
Tech titans, in particular, lamented the ongoing humanitarian crisis that rose from the attacks in the long-contested Gaza Strip. Google chief executive Sundar Pichai declared that he was deeply grieved by reports of civilian casualties, and Microsoft head Satya Nadella referred to the attacks as horrific and an act of terrorism on the part of Hamas.
Meanwhile, entertainment giant Disney made a donation of around $2 million for humanitarian relief operations, on top of massive contributions on the part of banks in the United States.
The Other Side
Other firms, however, are taking a different approach towards neutrality, seeking not to offend those supporting either side.
This trend has been more common in the United Kingdom where a recent statement from the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club found itself the subject of scorn following a statement declaring how its management was horrified by the ongoing conflict. Longtime fans of the team pointed out how, prior to the crisis, Tottenham Hotspur prided itself on being a Jewish club; as a result, the team has been vehemently called out for perceived hypocrisy.
The ongoing conflict has also drawn Web Summit chief executive Paddy Cosgrove into hot water. The founder of the world’s largest tech conference was made to apologize following a statement where he accused the Israeli government of committing war crimes.
