Starbucks Union, representing almost 9,000 baristas, Starbucks Workers United, shockingly expressed “solidarity with Hamas” following the heartbreaking Hamas attack on innocent Israelis, where over 1,200 lives were tragically lost in the most barbaric murderous ways which includes shooting infants, young children and burning whole families of human civilians alive.

Over the years, we have witnessed numerous instances of corporations making ill-advised decisions that affected the profits of their decision-makers. Examples such as Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, owned by Unilever, and more recently, Budweiser Anheuser-Busch, whose profits in the U.S. experienced a substantial decline after the highly controversial Bud Light ad campaign perpetrated by Dylan Mulvaney. However, it is essential to highlight that these marketing campaigns, despite their faults, were not in any way endorsing or supporting the mass barbaric murder of innocent civilians, including infants, children, women, and the elderly and were solely corporate marketing bad decisions.

The solidarity shown by the Starbucks Union, consisting of a whopping 9,000 employees, is disturbing beyond measure. It is a support that extends to a family of 20 innocent souls who were ruthlessly shot, piled up and burned alive by Hamas. The sheer brutality displayed in this act is difficult to process. How can we, as consumers, be comfortable allowing Starbucks employees, who express such solidarity with perpetrators of egregious violence, to serve us our daily cup of coffee? Should we not feel troubled by the fact that the very cup we hold in our hands might symbolize something far more sinister—the blood of innocent Jews, whose lives these employees openly align with?

It is with a heavy heart that the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, along with our esteemed partners, calls for a widespread boycott of Starbucks. We also implore all the groups that have previously demonstrated their concern by boycotting Budweiser to once again stand united in boycotting Starbucks and show their solidarity for the value of human life. Your voice, combined with ours, will send a strong message against the normalization of violence and hatred.

Let us all take a moment to reflect on the choices we make and the implications they carry. When we sip on a Starbucks coffee, should we not be aware of the possibility that we may be unknowingly consuming more than just a caffeinated beverage? Furthermore, can we truly separate the taste of our coffee from the painful imagery of innocent lives lost and the solidarity expressed by those serving us? The very thought leaves a deep, unsettling unease in the mind and heart.

Please join us in raising awareness about this distressing issue. Share this boycott with friends, family and coworkers, urging them to reevaluate their choices and consider the implications of supporting Starbucks. Together, let us make a resounding statement against the indifference displayed toward the loss of innocent lives and demand accountability from corporations whose workers’ actions align with those who perpetrate such horrific acts by using the brand’s name to send a message to the entire world via the vast reach of Starbucks, a leading business in commerce, to support barbaric murder of innocent civilians.

We must stand together to protect the value of human life and call out those who don’t.

Duvi Honig

Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce