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Starbucks faces boycott after workers endorse Hamas

The company repudiated the union’s message: “We unequivocally condemn these acts of terrorism, hate and violence.”

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Calls for boycotting Starbucks started trending on social media last week after the company’s union posted a pro-Hamas messages on X on Tuesday.

SB Workers United, which represents baristas and other service employees from some 350 branches around the country, wrote, “Solidarity with Palestine!” over a picture of one of the Hamas bulldozers breaking through the security fence on the first day of its invasion last Saturday, when some 2,000 terrorists poured into Israel and massacred over 1,300 men, women and children and dragged some 150 Israelis, including children and some foreign nationals into the Gaza Strip to be held as hostages.

Israel declared war on Hamas the next day and named it Operation Iron Swords.

The caption made clear where their sentiments lay, saying, “Bulldozer operated by Gaza Resistance tearing down the israeli [sic] occupation fence erected on the border. Literally breaking apart the israeli-created mass prison in the Strip.”

Israel completely withdrew all soldiers from the Gaza Strip and demolished 22 Israeli villages there, forcibly repatriating their Jewish residents, in 2005.

The post was soon deleted but outraged netizens had already captured the screenshot and it went viral, with the call to “Boycott Starbucks” trending in response.

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Florida Senator Rick Scott posted, “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.”

“Time to boycott @starbucks and their terror supporting unions. #HamasIsISIS,” wrote Brooke Goldstein, founder and director of The Lawfare Project, which provides pro bono legal services to protect the civil and human rights of Jews and pro-Israel communities worldwide.

The company was quick to distance itself from its union, posting Wednesday, “We unequivocally condemn these 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.”

In a note to the employees, Starbucks Executive Vice President Sara Kelly repeated the condemnation, but acknowledged Palestinian suffering as well.

“As a leadership team, we want to again express our deepest sympathy for those who have been killed, wounded, displaced and impacted following the heinous acts of terror, escalating violence and hate against the innocent in Israel and Gaza this week,” she wrote in part.

The union also advocated for pro-Hamas demonstrations all over the U.S., including in Iowa City, Chicago and Boston. One of its leaders, Jaz Brisack, a longtime Hamas supporter, shared other posts condemning Israel, called Israel an ‘apartheid state,’ and lashed back at the critics, sharing such statements as, “This should not have been considered controversial. Human rights are not up for debate.”

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Jewish human rights were not acknowledged in the posts.