The recent blocking of Israeli users from registering on Twitch sparked a backlash that led to the reinstatement of access and a brief apology from the platform.
However, for many, attention has turned to Amazon, Twitch's parent company since a $1 billion acquisition nearly a decade ago, as it maintains silence on the matter. Critics point to Amazon's apparent low profile, especially as similar issues surface around other major tech companies amid the Israel-Gaza war.
Central to the criticism is Twitch CEO Dan Clancy, who was publicly reproached by Jewish American podcaster Ethan Klein for failing to address the concerns. In protest, Klein’s supporters launched a site cataloging alleged antisemitic incidents reportedly ignored by Twitch, titled "Dan Clancy Sucks."
The controversial necklace
While Twitch is now in the public eye, Amazon has so far maintained a low profile, managing to sidestep controversies that have hit Google, Microsoft and even Meta over the past year regarding the Gaza war and its impact on Western society.
This is not to say that Amazon hasn’t faced its own issues. By Q2 of 2024, the company employed about 1.5 million people, many from immigrant backgrounds, including employees from Muslim-majority countries that are generally unfriendly toward Israel.
The latest incident to make headlines involved Dr. Ruba Borno, a senior Vice President at Amazon Web Services (AWS), who appeared in a promotional video for Amazon’s flagship cloud conference in Las Vegas, wearing a necklace featuring a map of “Greater Palestine” — an outline of Israel with the Palestinian flag overlaying the entire area. The appearance sparked considerable backlash, leading Amazon to remove the video. According to Fox Business, Borno herself is of Palestinian descent.
The necklace could have been dismissed as a one-time lapse in judgment if not for other incidents Amazon has managed to keep low-key. Some speculate that if Amazon’s PR and marketing teams overlooked this, it might indicate that Borno felt comfortable enough within the company’s organizational culture to wear a politically provocative symbol in an official video at such a tense time.
Problematic Corporate Culture?
A central critique from Jewish and Israeli Amazon employees concerns the company’s silence regarding the abduction of employee Sasha Trufanov by Hamas on October 7. Many express frustration that Amazon, known for its public support of numerous social justice causes, has maintained a notable public silence in this instance.
This response contrasts starkly with the company’s visible support for movements such as Black Lives Matter, Stop Asian Hate and LGBTQ and women’s rights. At last year’s AWS conference in Las Vegas, Trufanov’s colleagues rented a truck with screens displaying his image to raise awareness within the company. However, Amazon has yet to make a formal public statement regarding his abduction.
The company’s Israeli branch, however, has shown some support for his release. His family maintains regular contact with the local office, which displayed his picture at an AWS conference in Tel Aviv. Employees in Israel are permitted to engage in volunteer activities on his behalf, and his image is displayed at the company’s Tel Aviv office.
Some prominent figures have defended Amazon’s stance, including Jewish billionaire Bill Ackman, a vocal advocate against antisemitism in the U.S. since October 7. The first priority of every CEO is the health and safety of his/her employees," Ackman posted on X.
"One of Amazon’s employees is being held hostage by Hamas. One would therefore assume that Amazon is doing everything it can to help, but it has said nothing publicly. One must therefore conclude that Amazon does not believe it is advisable to say anything about the situation. It must believe that speaking publicly is harmful rather than helpful."
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Trucks rented by Amazon employees with screens displaying photos of hostages
(Photo: Social media)
Three days after the attacks, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy issued a statement: "The attacks against civilians in Israel are shocking and painful to watch. I have been in touch with our teammates there to make sure we do everything we can to help support their family’s and their safety, and to assist however we can in this very difficult time. We’re also in close contact with our humanitarian relief partners on the ground and will be supporting their efforts. Hoping that peace arrives as soon as possible"
However, employees noted that, unlike other efforts where Amazon raised millions in donations for Ukraine and other causes, Jassy’s statement on Israel “did not specifically condemn anything.” They argue that the approach appeared to be “the more vague the statement, the better.” This is particularly striking given Amazon’s extensive presence in Israel, where it operates local data centers, employs many workers and counts the Israeli government as a client through Project Nimbus, Israel’s government cloud project.
Employees also report encountering violent and offensive messages directed toward them on internal company channels. Some shared images they saw, including a bloodstained map of Israel wrapped in a keffiyeh, accompanied by Arabic text reading, “The land that was killed and sold before the mandate, the land that is still being killed and sold at this very moment, the land that will not die, will remain in our hearts. We will plant our hatred in our children. It will plant love in our grandchildren.”
In another instance, an internal messaging app community was named "I Stand with Palestine!" with a bio reading, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,"—a slogan many see as a call for the elimination of Israel and the genocide of Jews living there.
Meanwhile, employees seeking to establish a Jewish group officially recognized as a protected minority group, similar to the company’s 13 existing affinity groups for Black, Asian, LGBTQ or disabled employees, were denied on the grounds that it is a religious group. This rejection came despite their explanation that they identify as atheists and see themselves as Jewish culturally and ethnically.
On the company’s internal Slack channels, employees report encountering frequent calls of “From the river to the sea,” often dismissed by management despite complaints, with many issues reportedly left unaddressed. Some employees have said they are now either discouraged from or fearful of making complaints due to concerns about losing their jobs.
These channels have also circulated fundraising campaigns for UNRWA, petitions signed by hundreds accusing Israel of “genocide,” calls for a cease-fire and demands for Amazon to cancel its Nimbus contract with the Israeli government. Conspiracy theories surrounding the events of October 7 also appear, with some employees expressing skepticism over Hamas’ role in the attacks.
One employee wrote, “I’ve never trusted the reports. How can the same group behead 40 babies, then rape, and so on (as Israelis claim) while at the same time act humanely toward certain people as some accounts suggest?” In another internal channel, a different employee wrote, “Just as some call Hamas ‘terrorists,’ I find it infuriating that Israel’s actions are not considered terrorism.”
Vandalism in company offices
Tensions within Amazon have escalated following acts of vandalism at the company’s New York and Seattle offices, where “Free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea” were spray-painted in English and Arabic in office elevators.
Adding fuel to the controversy, a viral post from a customer in Wisconsin detailed how a copy of Noa Tishby’s best-selling book Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth, purchased through Amazon, arrived with stickers bearing the message “Free Palastine” (sic) across its pages. Amazon responded by stating it took the incident “very seriously,” issued an apology to both the customer and Tishby, and terminated the employee responsible.
Meanwhile, criticism directed at Amazon has also come from the opposite end, with Palestinian, Arab and Muslim employees alleging they face a concerning rise in Islamophobia. They report experiencing “censorship,” a fear of job loss and the deletion of internal posts supporting Palestinians, while posts expressing support for Israel remain untouched.
“Our lives matter equally,” wrote one employee anonymously. “Amazon has many employees affected by what’s happening in Gaza. We’re not all terrorists; we’re just human beings with families in dire situations. People are upset. They want Amazon to take a stand.”
Amazon was approached for comments on each claim raised in this report, and, in an unexpected move, the company addressed each one.
“Any suggestion that Amazon tolerates hatred, violence, or anti-semitism, or any attempt to draw that conclusion from unrelated and misrepresented events, is inaccurate and wrong," said Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel.
"From the moment one of our teammates was taken hostage, we’ve worked closely with outside experts to bring him home safely and support his family, and we’ve taken their guidance on whether and how to discuss that process publicly. At the same time, we’ve held various events, internal communications, and meetings with our teams around the world to listen and understand their needs, and work to support them.
"As a large, global, and decentralized company with over 1.5 million teammates, there might be mis-steps from time to time by individuals or teams. And, while we will attempt to rectify or explain these mis-steps, we know people may mischaracterize our intentions or the meaning of these events. However, we remain unequivocal in caring deeply for all of our team members—representing a very diverse set of backgrounds and beliefs—and have no tolerance for hatred or discrimination of any kind. We continue to hope for peace in the region.”
Regarding Twitch account issues: “Following the attacks of October 7, 2023, Twitch suspended the ability to create new accounts via email verification in both Israel and Gaza. We did this to try to avoid new streamers creating accounts, with only an email verification, who might stream upsetting videos related to the attacks. This action did not fully restrict the creation of new accounts for customers in these locales, as mobile phone verification still worked and represents roughly half of our new accounts created. The suspension was intended as a temporary measure to prevent uploads of graphic content in order to protect the safety of our customer community, but was mistakenly extended until we were made aware of the error this week. Once we were made aware of the issue, it was quickly fixed and new accounts in both Israel and Gaza can now be created and verified by both email and mobile phone.”
Regarding Dr. Ruba Borno: “The violence and loss of life happening every day in the Middle East is tragic, and at Amazon, our hearts and thoughts are with any person or community that's affected. Our leadership remains in regular contact with our teams based in the region to offer our support. “The video shot was not meant to be a political statement, and we apologize for any offense it may have caused. We’ve taken down the video and will repost a new one in the coming days.”
Regarding internal Slack channel commentary: We don’t tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind in the workplace. We investigate all reported incidents of such behavior and take appropriate action against any employee who is found to have violated our policies, up to and including termination.”
Regarding Customer Service escalations: “We investigate each and every reported issue with customer orders and work to make them right, which typically involves reaching out to affected customers to resolve any issues they’ve experienced.”
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