Amazon faces backlash for inviting pro-Palestinian Macklemore and allegedly banning pro-Israel talk

Amazon recently invited controversial rapper and pro-Palestinian advocate Macklemore to speak at an internal meeting, while allegedly blocking a talk by a pro-Israel speaker—even as one of its employees remains a hostage in Gaza.

Samantha Ettus, a Harvard-educated self-help author and activist for Jewish causes following the October 7 Hamas attack, posted a viral video on Instagram accusing Amazon of having a “big giant Jewish problem.”

Ettus claimed that the company canceled her Zoom appearance for an unofficial “affinity” group of Jewish employees because human resources deemed her talk “too controversial.”

In her Instagram video, Ettus expressed frustration that while her talk was silenced, Amazon invited Macklemore to conduct an official seminar for the company’s affinity group dedicated to supporting recovering addicts.

The “Thrift Shop” artist, known for his outspoken views on alcohol and drug recovery, has also been highly critical of Israel since its military operation in Gaza, which followed the deadly attack by Hamas that left 1,400 people dead in last year’s cross-border raid.

Hamas also captured around 240 hostages, including Alexander “Sasha” Trupanov, an Amazon employee from its Tel Aviv lab. It remains unclear if Trupanov is among the estimated 100 hostages still alive.

Last month, Macklemore, now 41, held a benefit concert titled “Palestine Will Live Forever,” during which he shouted “F–k America” and accused Israel of committing “genocide” against Palestinians.

His concert was held only weeks after his seminar for Amazon employees. The Zoom session, which was pre-recorded and reviewed by human resources to ensure it stayed clear of geopolitical topics, was approved and streamed to staffers early last month.