Online giant Amazon has been accused of inviting pro-Palestinian rapper Macklemore to speak to its staff just days after it vetoed a talk by a pro-Israel speaker.
The rapper, who was forced to apologize for alleged anti-Semitism in the past, was invited by Amazon to speak to a group within the company dedicated to the recovery of drug addicts.
But the tech giant has been accused of hypocrisy by pro-Israel activist Samantha Ettus, who alleged that Amazon canceled her Zoom appearance for an unofficial “affinity group” for Jewish employees because HR deemed her talk “too controversial.” “.
An Amazon spokesperson denied the double standard in a statement to MailOnline: “Many of these claims lack important context, and it is inaccurate and misleading to suggest that we tolerate hostility in our workplace.”
The ‘Thrift Store’ rapper, who has been open about his substance abuse issues in the past, held a pre-recorded seminar that was vetted by Amazon’s human resources department to ensure no political discussions took place.
Pro-Israel activist Samantha Ettus (pictured) alleged that Amazon canceled her Zoom appearance for an unofficial ‘affinity group’ for Jewish employees.
Amazon is in the middle of the controversy surrounding Ruba Borno, who wore a controversial necklace in a company video
Macklemore (pictured) has been forced to apologize for alleged anti-Semitism in the past.
“Affinity group Recovery@ has hosted a conversation with Macklemore specifically about his personal journey, recovery, and reducing stigmas in the workplace for those recovering from substance abuse,” the HR message read, reported the New York Post.
HR said that “the team made sure the conversation followed those topics for a conversation during National Recovery Month.”
“In reviewing the event, we have decided to move it to a pre-recorded conversation and will review all content before sharing it with employees,” HR added.
The talk has since been removed from the company’s internal video portals.
But critics said his activism should have prevented him from speaking on Amazon.
Last month, Macklemore held a benefit concert titled “Palestine Will Live Forever,” in which he denounced Israel for carrying out what he called “genocide” against the Palestinians.
Amazon employee Sasha Troufanov was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7
Macklemore Talks About Being a Recovering Drug Addict During His Amazon Seminar
But Ettus said Macklemore’s activism should have prevented him from speaking out.
Borno was wearing a chain similar to the one seen above.
He has also been a prominent critic of Israel since it began its counteroffensive against the Gaza Strip following the deadly October 7 massacre, releasing a song called ‘Hind’s Hall’ in May where he expressed his support for Palestine.
He was forced to apologize for alleged anti-Semitism after performing at a concert dressed in costumes that many said evoked Jewish stereotypes.
He wore a black suit, a dark wig, a fake beard and a large prosthetic nose.
While he claimed his outfit was a “random costume,” critics said it was a crude imitation of Hasidic Jewish fashion.
Samantha Ettus said Amazon had canceled its conversation with the unofficial Jewish group, which she said Amazon refused to officially recognize.
“A few months ago, their Jewish group invited me to speak at Amazon, which is not a real Jewish group because Amazon refuses to officially recognize them because they say they are a religion (and) not an ethnicity,” Ettus said in an Instagram video .
Ruba Borno attends the National Premiere of “Save This Rhino” at Paramount Pictures on September 13, 2019 in Los Angeles, California
As of yesterday, Ruba Borno, Vice President of Global Specialists and Partner Organizations, is still currently working for the e-commerce giant.
Ettus said Amazon was guilty of “hypocrisy” for featuring a “known racist and anti-Semitic” by canceling his talk.
“Despite the pleas of the Jewish people (that) this is an anti-Semite and they cannot be made to speak… they are allowed to speak,” Ettus said.
“So Macklemore is not controversial, but I am,” he said.
Although the Jewish employees filed an official complaint with Human Resources, the complaint was denied.
Amazon is already under fire after one of its executives barely kept her job for wearing a controversial necklace that showed the Palestinian flag plastered over the State of Israel in a company video.
As of yesterday, Ruba Borno, Vice President of Global Specialists and Partner Organizations, is still currently working for the e-commerce giant.
Amazon was quick to remove the video and stated that the clip was never intended to be political.
Borno, of Palestinian descent, fled Kuwait with his parents during the first Gulf War in 1990.
Troufanov, 28, an Israeli hardware engineer at an Amazon subsidiary in Tel Aviv, was taken hostage along with three members of his family from Kibbutz Nir Oz, while his father was killed in the massacre.
The family came to the United States, where Borno received advanced degrees in electrical engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the University of Michigan.
He has worked at Amazon Web Services since November 2021, with previous stints at Experian, Cisco, and Boston Consulting Group, during which time he advised Obama’s auto industry task force.
The controversy erupted just days after the one-year anniversary of October 7, during which 1,200 Israelis were killed by Hamas terrorists.
Hundreds more were taken hostage, including Amazon employee Sasha Troufanov, who remains in captivity.
Troufanov, 28, an Israeli hardware engineer at an Amazon subsidiary in Tel Aviv, was taken hostage along with three members of his family from Kibbutz Nir Oz, while his father was killed in the massacre.
Since then, an estimated 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in retaliatory attacks by Israel.
The backlash to Borno’s video prompted dozens of Amazon customers to vow to boycott the company in favor of its competitors.
Borno also appears to have since deleted his X and Linkedin accounts.
In an article on his alma mater’s website, Borno states that he believes empathy, emotional intelligence, resilience and responsibility are important leadership qualities.
“It’s important to give credit to the team when things are successful, but it’s also very important to be responsible when things go wrong,” Borno is quoted as saying.
‘You are the leader. You can’t blame anyone else. He also states that it is essential to be “self-aware.”
