Outrage Ensues as Amazon Exec Sports Controversial Necklace in Company Video

In a recent company video, Ruba Borno, an Amazon executive, has ignited significant backlash after wearing a striking necklace featuring a pendant shaped like the map of Israel, with a Palestinian flag overlaid. The appearance sparked furious reactions across social media platforms, particularly among users who expressed intentions to cancel their Amazon Prime subscriptions and called for Borno's dismissal.

Borno, who serves as the vice president of specialists and partners at Amazon Web Services (AWS), was promoting an upcoming company conference slated for this fall in Las Vegas when the controversial statement was made. The design of the necklace, incorporating the map of Israel along with the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, has raised accusations that it undermines Israel’s existence and supports a Palestinian state envisioned "from the river to the sea."

In response to the online uproar, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed that the video has been removed. “The video shot was not meant to be a political statement, but we’ve taken down the video and will repost a new one in the coming days,” the spokesperson stated.

Critics on social media quickly mobilized, sharing screenshots of Borno’s necklace in the video. "Vile. This is unacceptable and warrants immediate termination," responded user Alex Wilner, who notably tagged Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in his remarks. Another user declared, "Canceling my subscription to Prime Video," expressing a call to action against the company.

The intensity of the backlash was amplified by remarks regarding the ongoing hostage situation involving Alexander Sasha Trupanov, an Israeli employee of an Amazon subsidiary in Israel who is currently held by Hamas. This incident calls into question Amazon's perceived silence regarding the release of Trupanov, especially in light of the mass abduction of Israelis by Hamas that took place on October 7 last year, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals.

As tensions escalated, Borno also took measures to mitigate the fallout by making her posts on social media private.

A deeper dive into Borno's background reveals that she is of Palestinian descent; her family was displaced from Kuwait following Iraq’s invasion in 1990. This displacement followed the controversial support of the invasion by then-PLO leader Yasser Arafat, after which many Palestinians were expelled from Kuwait. With the aid of the U.S. Embassy, Borno’s family was able to evacuate to the United States, where her sister was born.

Ruba Borno is highly educated, boasting a PhD and a Master of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan. Prior to her tenure at Amazon, which began in November 2021, she accrued experience at prominent firms such as Boston Consulting Group, Cisco, and Experian.

This incident not only highlights personal affiliations and political sentiments of corporate executives but also ignites broader discussions about accountability, corporate values, and the delicate balance of personal beliefs within global business entities. Stay tuned as further developments unfold, including Amazon's official statement and potential changes in executive policies.

The fallout continues to evolve, leaving consumers and stakeholders on alert. Will the outcry lead to lasting changes within Amazon?