Apple Store Workers Claim Discipline for Supporting Palestine

Apple Employees Protest Company’s Sponsorship of Israeli Tech Conference

A group of nearly 300 current and former Apple employees have signed a petition urging the company to withdraw its sponsorship funding for an Israeli tech conference held in New York. Dozens of employees also staged a protest outside the event venue. The petition and protest were organized by a group called Apples4Ceasefire.

Google Employee Interrupts Conference Talk, Gets Fired

During the conference, a Google Cloud software engineer interrupted a talk by an Israeli official, shouting “Google and Amazon are paying for this!” before being forcibly removed from the event. The employee was fired by Google the same week. While employees have noted that Google’s Nimbus tools are capable of mass surveillance, neither the company nor the Israeli government has publicly confirmed that Nimbus is used for that purpose.

Apple’s Efforts to Quell Internal Friction over Israel-Hamas War

In November, Business Insider reported that Apple had taken steps to suppress internal discussions about the Israel-Hamas war. The company deleted Slack posts related to the conflict and temporarily suspended Slack channels for Jewish and Muslim employees.

Palestinian Apple Employee Fired for Showing Support

According to the Apples4Ceasefire podcast, a Palestinian retail employee named Madly Espinoza was fired by Apple for visibly supporting Palestinians at work. Espinoza claims that she initially received permission from management to wear a keffiyeh, as long as it did not cover her Apple logo. However, a few weeks later, management reversed their decision and issued a disciplinary document stating that wearing the keffiyeh violated store policy.

Employees Reprimanded for Wearing Pro-Palestinian Jewelry

Espinoza says she stopped wearing the keffiyeh and instead wore pro-Palestinian jewelry after seeking approval from management. Around this time, many other employees at the Lincoln Park store also began wearing jewelry showing support for Palestinians, such as bracelets with watermelons or phrases like “Free Gaza.” According to Ra’ouf, an Apples4Ceasefire organizer, approximately 40 Lincoln Park employees were verbally reprimanded by management for wearing these bracelets.

Espinoza’s Termination and Alleged Reasons

Espinoza was fired on March 6, according to Palestine in America. She claims that her termination documents did not specify a reason, but management verbally stated that her actions were “too political” and created “a harmful environment.”

Other Apple Employees Share Similar Experiences

Several current and former Apple employees spoke or were quoted on the Apples4Ceasefire podcast episode. One unidentified California-based employee, who does not work in retail, claimed that Apple management instructed him not to wear his keffiyeh, even during breaks or lunch.

“I was wearing my keffiyeh, and I was told by my market leader and Human Resources that I was not allowed to wear my cultural garment at all, and it was not safe to wear due to the political stance and climate that it addresses,” the employee says. He adds that he was informed that he was not allowed to wear his keffiyeh even during breaks or lunch. “I was told I could only wear it to and from work,” he says.