How Starbucks fell from favor with pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian activists
The coffee giant is no stranger to frothy accusations of being pro-Israel, and now a pro-Palestinian post on one of its union's social media accounts has sparked a boycott.
Trouble has been brewing for Starbucks after activists targeted it over its perceived stance on the Israel-Hamas war, leading to several of its cafes being vandalized and the global brand being embroiled in political controversy.
This is despite Starbucks having no stores in Israel or the Palestinian territories — though there is the famous “Star & Bucks” Café in downtown Ramallah in the West Bank, which uses a shade of green in its logo similar to the brand it's imitating. Starbucks is also not on the official, pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) list of companies to boycott due to their perceived support for Israel.
In a letter to staff posted on Tuesday to the coffee giant’s website, Starbucks chief executive Laxman Narasimhan called for peace and blamed “misrepresentation” of its views for the vandalism of the company's stores.
Without addressing the Israeli-Hamas conflict by name, Narsimhan said he was “concerned” about the state of the world.
