Although the Israeli tech industry has been actively rallying behind the flag since the war began earlier this month, engaging in constant Israel advocacy abroad through various platforms, one incident has managed to drive a big wedge between large Israeli tech companies and one of the most important American tech companies in the world. This was made through an army of volunteers in the industry who have been scanning LinkedIn for biased posts on Israel.
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The controversy began after Yamini Rangan, the CEO of the American company HubSpot, wrote on LinkedIn a post that appeared to draw moral equivalence between Hamas and Israel.
That drew major outrage among Israeli high-tech workers. The company is one of the three leading companies globally in marketing systems, and its system is widely used by most Israeli tech companies.
"Like many, I've been watching the news from Israel and Palestine with great sadness. I want to express my deep condolences to all the victims' families of the violence, and I condemn all forms of violence. In our company, we are trying to make every effort to support our employees, customers, and partners," the post originally said.
HubSpot has ties to many Israelis in the high-tech industry, including many who have been called up for reserve duty in recent days because of the war.
Video: PM vows to exact immense price from Hamas in Diplomatic-Security Cabinet meeting Credit: Twitter/@Israelipm
However, the CEO's post did not show sympathy for these partners. What's more, the comments to the post included calls for "Free Palestine," with many accusing the company of supposedly falling for the manipulation of its Israeli customers.
The post drew outrage within the Israeli tech community, and hundreds of employees began to criticize Rangan. "Yamini Rangan, sometimes silence is the best option. Shameful post. Stand with Israel," one CEO in Israel said. Another Israeli LinkedIn user wrote, "Shame! Your neutral post shows you completely ignore the reality, in which young girls are raped and babies are slaughtered."
Several CEOs also approached the company's management and informed them that if Rangan doesn't apologize, Israeli and international tech companies will be forced to stop using HubSpot's services.
On her part, Rangan responded to the firestorm by editing her post, writing the following:
"One of the most important jobs I have as a leader is to acknowledge when I don't get something right. I did not get this right. I've updated the post below to reflect the condemnation of Hamas' attacks on Israel last week. I remain heartbroken for all the impacted families and victims across Israel and Palestine and staunchly against violence and terrorism in all its forms.
Like many, I've been watching the news in Israel and Palestine with great sadness. I condemn the Hamas attack on Israel last weekend. I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the impacted families, loved ones, and victims, and know that people across the world are hurting deeply as the situation continues to evolve. HubSpot recognizes the anguish and hardships these atrocities create for people around the world and are focusing our efforts on supporting impacted employees, customers, and partners."
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