Israeli company sacks employee for social media post describing Israel as a ‘terrorist state’
Wix, an Israeli software company with 500 employees in Dublin has told staff to create social media content bolstering Israel’s ‘narrative’ in its war on Gaza, according to leaked internal messages revealed by the Irish Times.
In one internal company chat set up by management shortly after Israel began its mass bombardment of civilians and its blockade of food, water, fuel and medicines in Gaza – war crimes under international law – in ‘retaliation’ against the Palestinians, workers were told to ‘show Westernity’ and support Israel in their social media output – because,
unlike the Gazans, we look and live like Europeans or Americans… [it is] very important to emphasise this in texts and images so that they feel close to us.
The message is in line with the dehumanisation of Palestinians in comments by Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and the country’s former ambassador to the UN, who have both dismissed Palestinians as ‘animals’. The company told workers it wanted them to create ‘videos and campaigns’ to ‘support Israel’s narrative’ and ‘make an impact on global perception’.
The company also sacked Dublin employee Courtney Carey after she described Israel as a ‘terrorist state’ on her social media because of its ‘indiscriminate’ bombing of civilians. The company’s president posted comments on his Linkedin page specifically attributing the sacking to her messages criticising Israel. Ms Carey told the paper that she is considering taking Wix to a tribunal for unfair dismissal.
Irish politicians have been among the most outspoken in condemning Israel’s attempts to wipe Gaza off the map and, reportedly, to force what remains of Gaza’s people across the border into Egypt. One think-tank close to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the 7 October Hamas attack by calling it a ‘unique opportunity’ to achieve the ‘relocation and final settlement of the entire Gaza population‘.
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