In response to the surge of antisemitic incidents globally following the terrorist massacre of 1,400 civilians in Israel, dozens of major corporations have signed on to the ADL “Workplace Pledge to Fight Antisemitism,” bringing the total number of signatories to more than 100 companies – with the list growing by the day.
“It’s really gratifying to see so many large companies making a firm commitment to fight antisemitism in the workplace and beyond,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director. “This is a pledge we originally called for months ago, but the recent surge of antisemitism around the world provided another important reminder for business leaders to use their bully pulpits to support Jewish employees and customers. It is comforting to know we have powerful allies in the business community who are willing to prevent workplace prejudice and take a stand against hate.”
New signatories who have been added in the three weeks since ADL’s CEO issued an urgent appeal to business leaders include large companies such as Apollo Global Management, Inc., Arbor Realty Trust, Inc., Cava, Creative Artists Agency, Google, Interpublic Group (IPG), J.Crew, KPMG LLP (U.S.), Omnicom, PGA Tour, Publicis Groupe, Simon Property Group, Tapestry, Tripadvisor Group, WPP, and Ziff Davis. The full list of participating workplaces is available on ADL’s website.
“We signed ADL’s Workplace Pledge to Fight Antisemitism in early September because it aligns with our values, including zero tolerance for hate of any kind. That commitment stands for our Jewish colleagues and community – and any community experiencing hate, violence or discrimination,” said Ellyn Shook, Chief Leadership & Human Resources Officer at Accenture. “In times like this, it’s important for us to come together as a global community to live our shared values – to support, care for and respect one another.”
“The brutal Hamas terrorist attack on Israel was unprecedented and unimaginable and has left many heartbroken. But many others have been encouraged to escalate their hatred and vitriol against Israel and Jews,” said David Simon, CEO and President of Simon Property Group. “Simon cannot tolerate antisemitism or any form of hatred in our workplace, and we are taking direct action to ensure our employees will continue to work together without any such fear. Simon employees are devastated by the violence and terror seen in Israel and are committed to working hard to stop the spread of hatred and antisemitism in our workplaces.”
Since the Hamas massacre of Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, ADL has recorded a significant spike in antisemitic incidents across the United States. Preliminary data from the ADL Center on Extremism indicates that reported incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault increased by 388 percent over the same period last year. And a number of European countries, including France, Germany, Italy and Spain, have experienced dramatic increases as well.
By taking the pledge, organizations agree to actively prevent antisemitism in their workplaces, including addressing antisemitism in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, supporting Jewish employees through Employee Resource Groups or other means, providing religious accommodations for employees, and speaking out against antisemitism.
