This week, business leaders will flock to Riyadh for the Future
Investment Initiative, dubbed “Davos in the Desert. In a world where corporate
leaders are increasingly using their voices to address global issues, now is
the time to ask a critical question: Why do many CEOs swiftly condemn certain
issues and actions but remain silent when it comes to the horrific realities
faced by Palestinians?
اضافة اعلان
As the world's attention turns to the ongoing genocide in Palestine
where over almost 7000 Palestinians have been killed, nearly half of them
children, it is time for business leaders to recognize their role in promoting
justice and upholding human rights.
Dutch pension fund PGGM pulled its investment from five Israeli banks over concerns that they are financing illegal Israeli colonial settlements in the Occupied West Bank.
A striking disparity has emerged
when it comes to the rapidly unfolding tragedy in Gaza that has already seen
over a million civilians displaced from their homes. While prominent companies
were quick to pledge support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's invasion,
support for Palestinian self-determination is glaringly absent. In fact,
corporations such as Microsoft, Google, Hewlett Packard, and JP Morgan, have
expressed support for Israel but have chosen to remain silent on Israel's
unending bombing on the people of Gaza who have already endured a 16-year
suffocating siege. As someone
with a foot in the business world and a foot in the legal world, I thought the role of business in the
contemporary landscape had evolved.
Where is the new era of corporate
responsibility everyone is talking about ?
We have entered an era of stakeholder capitalism and sustainable
business, where corporate success is measured not only by financial performance
but also by the positive impact on society and the environment. CEOs are
increasingly accepting that they have a duty to contribute to the well-being of
communities and the preservation of our planet. As we navigate this new era, it
becomes even more essential for CEOs to align their company’s values and
actions with principles of justice, equality, and human rights.
The current trend of conscious leadership is also transforming the
business landscape. Conscious leaders are not merely stewards of their
companies but role models and thought leaders in society. Their voices carry
weight, and their commitment to justice and human rights, particularly in the
challenging context of the Palestinian struggle for self-determination, can set
a bold example for businesses worldwide. It can be a demonstration of
leadership in its truest sense, where business leaders embrace a higher purpose
that aligns with principles of equity, compassion, and global betterment.
In the context of the horror and
catastrophe playing out before us, I have had to ask myself whether this talk
of stakeholder capitalism and conscious leadership might just be buzzwords to
make those of us in the business world feel better? I don’t think they are and
here’s some examples of why.
Concurrently, Luxembourg’s state pension fund and Danske Bank have also taken action and blacklisted several Israeli banks.
Dutch pension fund PGGM pulled its
investment from five Israeli banks over concerns that they are financing
illegal Israeli colonial settlements in the Occupied West Bank. Concurrently,
Luxembourg’s state pension fund and Danske Bank have also taken action and
blacklisted several Israeli banks. Ben & Jerry's has been vocal about
various social and political issues and stopped sales in the Occupied
Territories for ethical reasons. These are important examples of how we can act
within a framework of promoting justice and upholding human rights rather than
simply talking about them.
History
shows corporate leadership makes a difference
History has shown that businesses can play a pivotal role in promoting
justice. During the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, numerous
businesses actively opposed racial segregation and discrimination. CEOs and
corporations like Coca-Cola and IBM stood alongside civil rights leaders.
Similarly, the global call to boycott apartheid-era South Africa compelled many
companies to divest from the country and support the struggle against racial
injustice.
They recognized that corporate interests must never take precedence over
human rights. The parallels between South Africa and Palestine are well known,
especially when it comes to the 75-year apartheid system and 55-year-old
military occupation endured by Palestinians
Of equal importance to
showing strong leadership, business leaders must also end the silencing and
repression of employees who stand with Palestinian rights. Over the past week
alone, there have been countless instances where individuals have faced consequences
for standing against the atrocities and occupation.
As we go deeper into this Orwellian dystopian era, we are seeing
websites emerge dedicated to identifying "anti-Israel employees,"
like Canary Mission, putting them in danger and potentially impacting their
career negatively. One of many examples include Ryna
Workman, student president of the NYU Law School Bar Association who had her
employment offer rescinded by law firm Winston & Strawn because of her
comments on Israel’s actions.
Despite this, employees at
companies such as Google and Amazon are pressuring their workplace to take a
stronger stance. Currently and since 2022, hundreds of Google employees have
been opposed to ‘Project Nimbus,’ a cloud computing contract with Israel. A
petition within Google has secured hundreds of signatures, calling Israel’s war
on Gaza a “genocide” and stating that by “supplying artificial intelligence and
other technology to Israel, Google is complicit in the mass surveillance that
enables the occupation and subjugation of Palestinians.” This matters.
Similarly, employees at Amazon have been pressuring the company to drop the
contract they currently have with the Israeli government.
Ben & Jerry's has been vocal about various social and political issues and stopped sales in the Occupied Territories for ethical reasons.
Standing with Palestine has had
ramifications for some CEOs, for example Paddy Cosgrave, the Irish co-founder of Web
Summit. Paddy correctly described Israel’s behavior as war crimes and
subsequently saw all major tech companies pull out of the most recent Web
Summit ultimately leading to his resignation. Given the power of technology and connectivity, I wonder
how many hundreds of lives would have been saved if these same CEOs had called
for a ceasefire instead of condemning him and withdrawing from the summit.
In this pivotal moment for humanity, where the eyes of the world are on
the plight of Palestinians, where thousands of citizens globally are urging
political leaders to stand up for Palestinians, the imperative to act becomes
undeniable. If political leaders are unable to do so, CEOs and business leaders
should pave the way.
Silence in the face of injustice is not
neutrality; it is complicity.
The choice is clear: to stand on the right side of history, to be
remembered as leaders who championed justice, equity, and human rights, or to
be consigned to a legacy of inaction when action was needed most. This is the
moral reckoning of our time, and it is a duty we all share, from CEOs to
individuals, to be unwavering champions for justice, humanity, and the promise
of a more equitable world.
Mary
Nazzal is an impact-driven businesswoman and investor and part of Forbes Most
Powerful Women. She is also a Barrister (England) specialized in international
humanitarian law and a former Young Global Leader with the World Economic Forum
(WEF).
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