As US corporations began their earnings season, executives expressed their deep sadness over the recent attacks on Israel and the potential impact on energy, food markets, global trade, and geopolitical relationships. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warns that the war in Ukraine, exacerbated by Israel’s attacks, could significantly impact energy, food markets, global trade, and geopolitical relations.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla emphasized the need for companies to take action against terrorism and the intentional targeting of civilians. Fundraising efforts have been swiftly mobilized, with billionaires and members of the U.S. and Canadian Jewish community contributing millions of dollars, military gear, clothing, and food and household supplies.
UBS pledged to match $5 million in donations and expand its network of partners to provide aid with resettlement for displaced families. Jefferies raised $13 million for charities providing humanitarian aid, including $2 million from Michael Bloomberg, former New York City mayor and co-founder of Bloomberg LP.
Goldman Sachs has pledged $2 million in aid and will match employee donations. Delta Air Lines will donate $1 million to the American Red Cross, while Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser included Israel in her earnings call remarks. She praised the commitment of others to serve and the devastating impact on innocent civilians.
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink also addressed Israel on the earnings call. David Kotok, co-founder of Cumberland Advisors, criticized the universal condemnation of violence with civilian casualties but noted that firms have refrained from mentioning specifics due to political sensitivities. Large tech companies, including Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Antonio Neri and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, have issued strong statements condemning the attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians. The situation is causing concern among investors and tech companies alike.
Amazon has announced a contingency plan to maintain its AWS cloud service for customers in Israel. At the same time, Meta removed support for Hamas from its platforms following the European Union’s reprimand for social media companies failing to tackle disinformation. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai emphasized the importance of standing against antisemitism, while Google CEO Satya Nadella expressed heartbreak over the terrorist attacks on Israel.
Large companies like Apple and Walmart have not issued statements, while prominent personalities like NBA star LeBron James have spoken out. Supermodel Gigi Hadid, whose father is Palestinian, expressed her support for Palestinians but not the harm of a Jewish person.
