The Israel-Palestine conflict is not just a territorial conflict but a dichotomy of religion, history, culture, politics, economy, society, and more. But one common denominator that is affected on both sides is the humankind.
On day 6 of the ongoing war, abating the situation is more crucial than taking sides. However, it doesn’t seem like the ‘powerful’ and ‘influential’ nations are in the mood for a truce.
Within days of Hamas’s surprise terror attacks on Israel, Joe Biden pledged a ‘rock-solid’ and ‘unwavering’ support to Israel, sending fighter jets, military aid, and other ammunition. Israel is also funded by most Western countries, including the European Union.
Meanwhile, Hamas receives support from its Muslim brethren, with Iran being the primary source of funds for the considerably less powerful militant group. Syria, Egypt, Jordan, and more countries show solidarity with Palestine.
But the former Hamas leader escalated the situation even further by summoning a “Global Jihad” on October 13, 2023, calling it the “Friday of Al-Aqsa flood,” declaring an attack on Israelis.
Amidst the war strategies, trickling money, and surging casualties, the world is split into which side to support. Having an opinion is not a challenge; facing backlash from differing opinions results in a digital war. A few celebrities also became a target of online scrutiny, such as Jamie Lee Curtis, who received criticism for her Instagram post on Israel-Gaza images.
In a similar case, a beloved global brand is on the cusp of a boycott for taking a side.
On Tuesday, October 10, 2023, Starbucks Workers United posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), showing their support for Palestine and condemning Israel for provoking the Hamas attacks, apartheid, and the oppression of the Palestinian people. This led to severe pushback from netizens, trending “Boycott Starbucks.” Starbucks corporate has distanced itself from the union’s beliefs.
Workers Union x Israel-Hamas Controversy Explained
Starbucks is a mega-chain taking over the world. As coffee becomes synonymous with Starbucks, the brand is one of the topmost consumed worldwide.
Naturally, with such a large corporation, Starbucks has an extensive workforce. Starbucks Workers Unites, based in Buffalo, New York, represents 340 Starbucks outlets across the US. The union’s Twitter (X) account has over 100,000 followers.
The new post from the union polarized netizens after they extended their support to Palestine, not Hamas. The post read–
“We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and condemn the IDF for the senseless and brutal bombing of innocent Palestinians, murder and injury, as well as for the creation and financing of Hamas in the 1980s to discourage Palestinian solidarity,”
One perception of the post is that the union condemned the powerful nations supporting Israel and funded Hamas to continue terrorism that misconstrued the Palestinian spirit.
While other prerogative netizens believe that the post suggests the union’s unconditional support for Palestine even after Hamas killed over 1200 people and took more hostage.
Why Is Boycott Starbucks Trending?
Starbucks Workers United labor unions have several branches, including in Chicago, Boston, and Iowa. The published post was shared by all the branches, which accounts for around 9,000 Starbucks baristas. The collective has declared its “solidarity with Palestine.”
Florida Senator Rick Scott has called out this post as blatant ignorance of Hamas’s acts of terrorism. He responded in a statement–
“This is disgusting. Every American should condemn the atrocities that Iran-backed Hamas terrorists committed in Israel. Boycott Starbucks until its leadership strongly denounces and takes action against this horrific support of terrorism.”
The union’s post opened a floodgate of criticisms that called for boycotting Starbucks for such radical opinions. Thus, #boycottStarbucks started trending on X.
Amidst the intense backlash, Starbucks Corporation has denied its association with the Union’s post. They issued a statement stating–
“Starbucks strongly disagrees with statements on acts of terror made by Workers United. We unequivocally condemn acts of terrorism, hate and violence, and disagree with the statements and views expressed by Workers United and its members. Workers United’s words and actions belong to them, and them alone.”
What is your take on this? Do you think the union’s support is justified? What are your thoughts on the ongoing war?
Let us know in the comments section below.
