An Amazon executive has sparked a backlash and calls for a boycott after being spotted wearing a controversial necklace.
Ruba Borno, vice president of Global Specialists and Partner Organizations for Amazon Web Services, was seen in an official company video promoting an upcoming conference in Las Vegas. Around her neck, Borno was sporting a pendant that was shaped like a map of Israel. The only problem was, it had a Palestinian flag superimposed on it.
“The map that was around Borno’s neck was Israel including West Bank and Gaza Strip — territories that the Palestinians have demanded as the basis for an independent state,” Daily Mail reported. “The symbolism has infuriated many, particularly as Amazon remained silent over the abduction of one of its own employees on October 7, Sasha Troponov, who is still a Hamas hostage.”
The company has taken down the video and Borno appears to have deleted her social media account, according to Daily Mail.
“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,” an Amazon spokesperson told the outlet adding that its leadership “remains in regular contact with our teams based in the region to offer our support.”
And her account is private now. pic.twitter.com/CK7iEZCyUx
— Hanne C. Ramberg 🎗️ (@hanneramberg) October 14, 2024
Borno is Palestinian by birth and came to the U.S. in 1990 with her parents from Kuwait during the first Gulf War. The exec received advanced degrees in electrical engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the University of Michigan and has worked at Amazon Web Services since November 2021, Daily Mail noted.
Social media users roasted the company and its executive on X, calling for Borno to be fired and canceling their Prime subscriptions.
Amazon senior VP at AWS, Ruba Borno, wore a Palestine map necklace in an official company video inviting people for a conference.
Does @rubaborno know that the map means “from the river to the sea” and calls for the killing of all the Jews of Israel?
Does she know that Amazon… pic.twitter.com/5bn0XUGYRx
— Hamas Atrocities (@HamasAtrocities) October 13, 2024
Vile. This is unacceptable and warrants immediate termination @JeffBezos
— Alex Wilner (@AlexWilner1) October 13, 2024
Canceling my subscription to prime video
— Michael Epand 🎗️ (@PDXmouse) October 13, 2024
BOYCOTT! She needs to get fired and Amazon needs to get hurt in the pocket!
— Wen Mon (@MonteiroWe21554) October 14, 2024
